Indonesia was founded with noble aspirations. Aside from ensuring that its people prospered, Indonesia was founded to only actively participate in maintaining world order.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
KEMENLU RI
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (center) with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and SOE Minister Erick Tohir after a bilateral meeting that discussed vaccine development and economic cooperation between China and Indonesia in Sanya, Hainan, China, Thursday. (20/8/2020).
It is stated in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution that the world order sought should be based on sovereignty, lasting peace and social justice. In other words, the world order Indonesia pursues should not be based on the dominance of a certain power, nor be at the expense of true peace and justice.
In order to realize the noble aspirations of our founding fathers, it is imperative that foreign policy guides Indonesia’s role on the international stage.
Law No. 37/1999 on foreign relations states that foreign policy is to provide guidance on the government’s stance and actions in interacting with foreign countries and international organizations. The law emphasizes that the principle of Indonesian foreign policy be free and active.
The world has been embroiled in the quandary of challenging problems over time. In the past, with its free and active principle of foreign policy, Indonesia positioned itself away from the fierce rivalry between the Western and Eastern blocs.
Then came the Asia-Africa Conference hosted in Indonesia, with its aim to promote constructive cooperation among those countries that had recently gained their independence. The conference became the event that pioneered the push for the Non-Aligned Movement.
Tensions are no longer fraying between the Western and Eastern blocs since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The face of the world has now changed with China emerging as the competitor of the United States.
(PHOTOS BY NICOLAS ASFOURI AND NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP)
(FILES) In this file combination of pictures created on June 8, 2021 shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) during a welcome ceremony for Bulgaria\'s President Rumen Radev in Beijing on July 3, 2019; and US President Joe Biden speaking at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 17, 2021. - Chinese President Xi Jinping had a "candid, in-depth" discussion with US counterpart Joe Biden during their first call in seven months, state media reported Friday. The leaders of the world\'s two biggest economies "conducted candid, in-depth and extensive strategic communication and exchanges on China-US relations and issues of mutual concern", state broadcaster CCTV said.
The rivalry between the two countries is simmering in the Asia-Pacific region over the South China Sea issue and influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Ideological tensions no longer prevail in Southeast Asia like they did when the Vietnam War broke out decades ago. However, this does not mean that the region is free of problems. The Myanmar crisis has caused suffering for its citizens amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a large democratic country with a vast population, Indonesia is highly expected to play a more active role.
This issue was raised at the National Dialogue on Indonesian Foreign Policy Direction held by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jakarta.
As a large democratic country with a vast population, Indonesia is highly expected to play a more active role.
As this daily reported on Wednesday (15/9/2021), at the forum, former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa stressed the need to underline the meaning of "active" as regards Indonesia’s foreign policy principle.
He pointed to the Asian-African Conference as a manifestation of "active" foreign policy, with national leaders boldly coming up with big ideas.
Indonesia became a sovereign nation in 1945, and not for itself in the broader perspective. Although foreign policy is indeed implemented for the national interest, the role Indonesia plays in pushing for a peaceful solution in Myanmar and promoting the spirit of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is our contribution to the world.
As problems become increasingly intricate and complicated, demand inevitably increases for more active contributions from Indonesia.
