Indonesia plans ‘new brand’ of diplomacy

JAKARTA — Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi has plans for Indonesia’s “new brand” of diplomacy, particularly in relation to the economy, following the delegation of a new task to all Indonesian envoys: To explore market opportunities for Indonesian businesses and safeguard those currently operating overseas.

Extending President Joko Widodo’s vision for a foreign policy that is more connected to the people, Ms Marsudi has repeatedly asserted that economic diplomacy is now among the main pillars of Indonesia’s foreign policy — in addition to protecting citizens abroad and increasing the country’s role on the international stage.

Ms Marsudi cited the measures she implemented during her term as Ambassador to the Netherlands from 2012 to last year as an example of what she expects Indonesian envoys to practise.

“When I served as Ambassador overseas, I regularly inspected shops selling Indonesian items. During one particular visit, I found that items were missing,” she said.

“I asked the shop owners why these goods were unavailable and they informed me that there had been a problem with the supplier.

“I asked them the name of the importer. I received the contact details and immediately called Jakarta. Afterwards, I managed to trace the problem — where and how it started — before making sure that these items once again lined the shelves of the shops I visited,” she said.

Ms Marsudi added that she expects all Indonesian envoys to adopt the same proactive mindset, saying: “The time of diplomats and ambassadors sitting pretty in their office is over. They must go into the field to understand our strengths.

“They must be able to solve problems that can be detrimental to our exports, for example. They must understand local regulations, so we’ll be able to enter those markets well.”

In addition to supporting the country’s exports, Indonesia’s new stance on economic diplomacy will also work to attract foreign investment to the archipelago, especially in sectors that are currently the government’s development priorities, including infrastructure, Ms Marsudi said.

Indonesian embassies and consulates around the world are now tasked with handling enquiries related to foreign businesses interested in investing in the country.

Envoys were briefed on the matter during a meeting in Jakarta earlier this month, she said.

“We agreed during the meeting that any Indonesian embassy (receiving enquiries related to business matters) must supply the necessary information in no later than three working days,” she added.

The Foreign Ministry has established what Ms Marsudi dubbed an “economic diplomacy delivery unit”, headed directly by Deputy Foreign Minister A M Fachir. The unit will deal specifically with the new policy and coordinate with related ministries and state institutions, such as the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Industry.

“We must not tire in promoting Indonesia. Ambassadors must change their mindsets to not only maintain, but also boost our nation’s economic diplomacy in a variety of ways,” Ms Marsudi said.

Speaking at an ambassadors’ gathering, Mr Widodo reiterated the policy’s aim of bolstering Indonesia’s exports and pushing the trade deficit into a surplus.

“What I know best is the furniture industry, and the market is worth up to US$480 billion (S$648 billion), but (Indonesia) benefits from only US$1.8 billion of it,” said Mr Widodo, a former furniture businessman. “If ambassadors can promote our products, we can create more opportunities to compete in the international market.”

THE JAKARTA GLOBE