After being assessed as successful in its Group of 20 presidency in 2022, Indonesia will focus its diplomacy in 2023 by assuming ASEAN chairmanship.
By
MAHDI MUHAMMAD, LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR
·5 minutes read
DOKUMENTASI KEMENTERIAN LUAR NEGERI RI
Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi delivers a speech to the annual press statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2023 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office, Jakarta, Wednesday (11/1/2023).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has described the plan to focus on ASEAN chairmanship plus four priorities of Indonesian foreign policy to be pursued in the course of 2023. Global challenges were acknowledged to be increasingly tougher.
Nevertheless, with a positive outlook, cooperation and a paradigm of collaboration, in a 2023 Annual Press Statement of the Foreign Minister in Jakarta on Wednesday (11/1/2023), Retno was convinced that Indonesia would continue its contribution and leadership role in global diplomacy.
After being assessed as successful in its Group of 20 presidency in 2022, Indonesia will focus its diplomacy in 2023 by assuming ASEAN chairmanship. Besides, there are four Indonesian foreign policy priorities introduced by Retno: strengthening the diplomacy of sovereignty, toughening the diplomacy of protection, promoting economic cooperation as well as undertaking the diplomacy of peace and humanity.
On the occasion, Retno also announced the candidacy of Indonesia as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period of 2029-2030. Previously, Indonesia had four times occupied the position, the latest being in 2019-2020.
“Global challenges in 2023 will be even tougher. Global uncertainties and geopolitical conditions will be even more serious. These global uncertainties and dynamic geopolitical conditions will still characterize the world. Rivalry between major powers will also be intensifying,” said Retno.
Quoting the prediction of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that estimated a slowdown in world economic growth from 3.2 percent last year to 2.7 percent this year, Retno underlined the situation in 2023. “One third of the world economy is predicted to undergo a recession this year. Even countries that are not in recession, it would feel like recession for hundreds of millions of people,” Retno quoted the IMF.
BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/MUCHLIS JR
President Joko Widodo received the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Sunday, July 17 2022. The delegates present were IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Asia and Pacific Department Director Krishna Srinivasan, and IMF Senior Representative for Indonesia James Walsh.
However, with the success in G20 presidency amid uncertainties, she stated that Indonesia had proven that friendship and collaboration could overcome difficult situations.
“Amid even harder global challenges, a positive outlook, cooperation and optimism are badly needed. It is this outlook that Indonesia will adopt in performing its ASEAN chairmanship this year,” said Retno.
A peaceful and stable Asia-Pacific region, respect for the international law and inclusive cooperation constitute the key to the emergence of ASEAN as an epicentrum of growth.
Under Indonesia, ASEAN chairmanship 2023 takes up the theme ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. Retno revealed that while leading ASEAN, Indonesia would like to make this regional organization strong, serving as a barometer of cooperation capable of contributing to regional peace, stability and welfare and, even further, global welfare. She quoted an estimate of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that the economic growth of ASEAN will amount to 4.7 percent in 2023.
“A peaceful and stable Asia-Pacific region, respect for the international law and inclusive cooperation constitute the key to the emergence of ASEAN as an epicentrum of growth. The implementation of AOIP [ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific] will be the primary spirit of the realization of priorities of Indonesian chairmanship [in ASEAN],” said Retno.
The pressing regional issue for Indonesia to attend to as ASEAN chair is the crisis in Myanmar. In this regard, Retno indicated that as ASEAN chair, Indonesia would continue to encourage the application of the five-point consensus already achieved in Jakarta.
One of the steps is the formation of a special envoy’s office to be directly headed by Retno. Besides, Indonesia will also communicate with all stakeholders in Myanmar. Retno considered communication the key to ASEAN’s facilitation of a national dialogue in Myanmar.
“The steps to be taken by Indonesia will always be based on the principles and fundamental values of the ASEAN Charter as a whole, including adherence to legislation, appropriate management, democratic principles and constitutional systems of government,” explained Retno.
AP/HENG SINITH
From left, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah pose for a group photo during the 25th ASEAN ând Japan Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
Not to be left
The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Myanmar will also be actively involved. Retno affirmed that the Myanmar issue would not be left to put ASEAN’s other agendas on hold, including the intensified development of the ASEAN community.
Retno also said that Indonesia would organize two KTT ASEAN summits in May and September.
In her statement, Retno highlighted the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. Indonesia realizes that many countries have their own concepts and ideas about the Asia-Pacific issue and their activity in this zone.
The United States, China, France and Russia are some of the superpowers with their own Asia-Pacific concepts. Not infrequently their concepts are opposed to each other so that they end up competing and “heating” the situation. The rivalry to win influence in this zone continues to occur right before ASEAN’s eyes.
“Indonesia will keep stressing that the Asia-Pacific region should be approached not only from the standpoint of security, but also from the standpoint of economic development,” said Retno.
She said that collaboration to achieve the common objective of prosperity in the Asia-Pacific zone would be the basis for Indonesia to execute its regional leadership.
Several observers, while appreciating some parts of the foreign minister’s speech, spotlighted that her statement failed to dig deeper into the problem and mention a number of important issues considerably affecting Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Centre for Strategic and International Studies deputy director Shafiah Muhibat, for instance, regretted the absence of the issues of the South China Sea, North Korea, the Taiwan Strait and the geopolitical rivalry between the US and China in the foreign minister’s statement.
Meanwhile, an international relations professor of Pelita Harapan University, Aleksius Jemadu, said foreign policy in 2023 would remain reactive to external and internal issues and tend to be pragmatic.
