Melba Pria: Her Down-to-Earth Excellency

The Jakarta Post - WEEKENDER   |  Sat, 08/23/2008 2:43 PM  |  Profile

Famous for its vibrant culture, rich history and, of course, tasty enchiladas, Mexico is comprised of the largest Spanish-speaking community in the world. Its newly appointed ambassador to Indonesia, Her Excellency Melba Pria, speaks candidly about foreign relations, the reason she doesn’t miss being home and why she thinks Indonesia still has to live up to its potential.

 
At the age of 50, Melba Pria exudes a youthful, friendly aura. In a blue shirt, her waist-length hair tied in a ponytail, she leans against the windowpane, sipping a beverage, reading through a pile of paperwork and conversing lightly with her staff. Her office, located on the 23^rd floor of Menara Mulia, looks out toward high-rise buildings in and around Jakarta’s Central Business District.

“Hello,” she says, smiling widely. “Can I offer you something to drink?”

It’s a short, simple gesture full of warmth. A conversation quickly ensues over tea, as Pria tells the story of the first time she fell in love with Indonesia. It was more than 20 years ago, she begins, when she decided to visit a Southeast Asian country and, on the advice of a mentor, chose the “great archipelago”.

“There is one incident that I will never forget,” she says. “I was in Bali … with a couple of other tourists and we couldn’t find a place to stay for the night. What did we do? We knocked on somebody’s door — a complete stranger, a local. And, just like that, we got ourselves an instant family.”

The incident reminds her of Mexico, she says. In many ways, the social aspects of Indonesia resemble those of her own country. Upon visiting a friend’s house in Mexico, for instance, she feels she has become a part of the entire family as soon as they shake hands and exchange greetings. Indonesia is the same, according to her observations, which is part of the reason why she asked to be sent to Jakarta, where she took up her position in January.

“What do I love about Indonesia? Everything,” she says. “The people are great, the food is excellent and the landscape is breathtaking.”

She turns sideways and catches a glimpse of the city through the large windows. “Twenty years ago, Jakarta was very different from what I see now. But, in some ways, it has evolved into a wonderful metropolitan city. Like any other metropolitan city, or if you want to compare it to Mexico City, it has its problems. However, it’s not something you can’t overcome.”

Born and raised in Mexico City, the ambassador is fluent in Spanish, English and several other languages from her experiences living abroad. Asked if she misses Mexico, the lover of poetry shrugs.

“I don’t believe in missing things or people. I believe in yearning or longing, but not missing. If I say I miss Mexico, it means I’m missing to be there, when I am here. But if I go back, I will miss this place that I’m leaving to be there. Either way, you’re in between. So, I don’t miss Mexico. Besides, in this embassy, you can always have Mexican food. And, by the pounds I’ve gained these past few months from eating gado-gado, you can tell I don’t miss the food at all.”

Though relatively new to her position, Pria has an extensive public service and foreign relations record. In 1998, she was appointed chief of the Mexican National Institute for Foreign Affairs, which led to her appointments as director general for Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chief of the Special Unit for Attention to NGOs.

Has she always wanted to serve her country?

“More precisely, growing up, I knew I wanted to serve the people,” says the ambassador. “For more than 20 years, I have dedicated my life for my country and the people of my country, as well as the people of other countries.”

Foreign relations are a vital element in creating global prosperity, she says. From a nation that once endorsed an introverted view of its sovereignty, known as the Estrada Doctrine, Mexico under the presidency of Vincente Fox (2000-2006) adopted a policy that was more open and involved in foreign affairs. This particular doctrine, known as the Castañeda Doctrine after former foreign affairs secretary Jorge Castañeda, is considered a progressive outreach.

Regardless of foreign policies that come and go, Indonesia and Mexico have been “neighbors” for the last 55 years, she says. That is a lifetime for some people, she adds.

“We’re practically a family,” she elaborates. “Which is why we were overwhelmed when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presented us with an award for helping Indonesia after the tsunami hit the country in 2004. We didn’t expect to receive such a grand gesture, because we did what we did out of friendship. And we would do it over and over, except we hope we never have to, because we hope Indonesia will never get struck by something that devastating ever again.”

A close observer of Indonesia’s long journey, both on the political and social fronts, Pria has the highest regard for the government officials upon whose shoulders the lives of 220 million people rest. She can’t even begin to comprehend the kind of effort that goes into their daily tasks.

“I think [Indonesian] politicians are magicians,” she chuckles. “I mean it as a compliment, because it takes something magical to govern a country this rich, this populous, this diverse.”

She says Indonesia is the “sleeping giant of Asia”. Once Indonesia realizes what it is capable of accomplishing, she reasons, it will become greater than it has ever imagined.

“You had your shining moment and you will have it again,” she says. “The problem is you can’t see it yet. And, because we are your friend, we will do whatever it takes to make you see your own potential.”

Ah, the joy of friendship.

+ Maggie Tiojakin

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