President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is set to materialize his election campaign pledges on foreign affairs, emphasizing policies that directly benefit the people. In indirect criticism of outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Jokowi also pledged to put aside agendas that were merely aimed at pursuing an unsubstantial image.

Jokowi is expected to enforce his vision of Indonesia’s role as “the world’s maritime axis” in the global arena, including at the series of multilateral forums he will attend in his first few weeks in office: the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing; the ASEAN summit and the 9th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Naypyidaw in Myanmar; and the G20 leaders’ summit in Brisbane, Australia.

“The doctrine of Indonesia being an archipelagic state with huge maritime potential has been merely a discourse for years. Jokowi wants to link the doctrine and people’s welfare. Indonesia’s role is actually central but we seem to just serve as a spectator,” said Rizal Sukma, who heads the defense and foreign affairs working group on Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla’s transition team.

“Jokowi wants to capitalize on Indonesia’s identity as a maritime axis for the sake of the people. He, for example, has linked the ‘maritime axis’ doctrine with a development agenda which benefits the people,” added Rizal, the executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

According to Rizal, Jokowi wants to make the most of Indonesia’s presence in the international arena for the sake of the Indonesian people. “As a result, economic diplomacy, such as on trade and investment, will get more attention on every diplomatic occasion,” said Rizal, who is also chairman of international relations at the Muhammadiyah central executive board.

Rizal reminded reporters of Jokowi’s pledges stated during the televised presidential debate on June 22. At that time, Jokowi said that, in the future, Indonesian ambassadors needed to be able to act as “good marketers”. He even stated that 80 percent of Indonesia’s diplomacy in the future should involve trade.

• Jokowi wants to capitalize on Indonesia’s identity as a maritime axis
• Eighty percent of Indonesia’s diplomacy in the future should involve trade

Earlier on Monday, Jokowi said “Today is no longer a product-centered era or a consumer-centered era. This nation needs hard-working marketers that are capable of marketing our products effectively. What’s the point of having good products that we can’t market?”

Rizal also hinted that Jokowi’s administration might conduct a so-called “diplomatic audit”.

“The essence is to review the existence of all 98 of Indonesia’s embassies worldwide.  For example, an embassy in a country with low bilateral trade volume could be reconsidered. However, there are some other factors to be taken into account, such as bilateral history with a certain country,” he said.

But the people-focused diplomacy won’t be limited to economic cooperation.

Indonesian diplomats under Jokowi’s administration will also be asked to show strong commitment to protecting migrant workers. Jokowi and his team have also been thinking about introducing more effective mechanisms to provide channels for Indonesians working overseas.

Meanwhile, one of the transition team’s deputy heads, Andi Widjajanto, said that the approach Jokowi would use in international forums would translate into a different style of diplomacy to SBY’s .

“But the new style will not drastically change Indonesia’s foreign policy. Indonesia will maintain the adoption of the free-and-active principle,” he said.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa briefed Rini Mariani Soemarno, the head of the transition team, about the upcoming multilateral events as well as the foreign policy priorities set by SBY so far.

» Summits p4

President-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo is set to materialize his election campaign pledges on foreign affairs, emphasizing policies that directly benefit the people. In indirect criticism of outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Jokowi also pledged to put aside agendas that were merely aimed at pursuing an unsubstantial image.

Jokowi is expected to enforce his vision of Indonesia'€™s role as '€œthe world'€™s maritime axis'€ in the global arena, including at the series of multilateral forums he will attend in his first few weeks in office: the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing; the ASEAN summit and the 9th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Naypyidaw in Myanmar; and the G20 leaders'€™ summit in Brisbane, Australia.

'€œThe doctrine of Indonesia being an archipelagic state with huge maritime potential has been merely a discourse for years. Jokowi wants to link the doctrine and people'€™s welfare. Indonesia'€™s role is actually central but we seem to just serve as a spectator,'€ said Rizal Sukma, who heads the defense and foreign affairs working group on Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla'€™s transition team.

'€œJokowi wants to capitalize on Indonesia'€™s identity as a maritime axis for the sake of the people. He, for example, has linked the '€˜maritime axis'€™ doctrine with a development agenda which benefits the people,'€ added Rizal, the executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

According to Rizal, Jokowi wants to make the most of Indonesia'€™s presence in the international arena for the sake of the Indonesian people. '€œAs a result, economic diplomacy, such as on trade and investment, will get more attention on every diplomatic occasion,'€ said Rizal, who is also chairman of international relations at the Muhammadiyah central executive board.

Rizal reminded reporters of Jokowi'€™s pledges stated during the televised presidential debate on June 22. At that time, Jokowi said that, in the future, Indonesian ambassadors needed to be able to act as '€œgood marketers'€. He even stated that 80 percent of Indonesia'€™s diplomacy in the future should involve trade.

• Jokowi wants to capitalize on Indonesia'€™s identity as a maritime axis
• Eighty percent of Indonesia'€™s diplomacy in the future should involve trade

Earlier on Monday, Jokowi said '€œToday is no longer a product-centered era or a consumer-centered era. This nation needs hard-working marketers that are capable of marketing our products effectively. What'€™s the point of having good products that we can'€™t market?'€

Rizal also hinted that Jokowi'€™s administration might conduct a so-called '€œdiplomatic audit'€.

'€œThe essence is to review the existence of all 98 of Indonesia'€™s embassies worldwide.  For example, an embassy in a country with low bilateral trade volume could be reconsidered. However, there are some other factors to be taken into account, such as bilateral history with a certain country,'€ he said.

But the people-focused diplomacy won'€™t be limited to economic cooperation.

Indonesian diplomats under Jokowi'€™s administration will also be asked to show strong commitment to protecting migrant workers. Jokowi and his team have also been thinking about introducing more effective mechanisms to provide channels for Indonesians working overseas.

Meanwhile, one of the transition team'€™s deputy heads, Andi Widjajanto, said that the approach Jokowi would use in international forums would translate into a different style of diplomacy to SBY'€™s .

'€œBut the new style will not drastically change Indonesia'€™s foreign policy. Indonesia will maintain the adoption of the free-and-active principle,'€ he said.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa briefed Rini Mariani Soemarno, the head of the transition team, about the upcoming multilateral events as well as the foreign policy priorities set by SBY so far.

» Summits p4

Looking ahead:  Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (right) talks with the head of president-elect Joko Widodo'€™s trasition team, Rini Mariani Soemarno, after a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Tuesday. Marty and Rini discussed the foreign policy agenda and future challenges for possible inclusion in the new administration'€™s agenda. (Antara/Suwandy/Foreign Ministry)

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