TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Indonesia, Rusia in agreement over two-state solution

Indonesia and Russia agree that the only peaceful answer for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a two-state solution, as top diplomats from the two countries met for talks on various issues on Tuesday

Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, March 14, 2018

Share This Article

Change Size

Indonesia, Rusia in agreement over two-state solution

I

ndonesia and Russia agree that the only peaceful answer for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a two-state solution, as top diplomats from the two countries met for talks on various issues on Tuesday.

The Mideast peace process was high on the agenda of Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, as the two met in Moscow to discuss international issues and preparations for President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Indonesia this year.

“We agreed that a two-state solution is the only viable solution for peace,” Retno said during a joint press statement in Moscow on Tuesday. “We encourage all parties to contribute to creating a conducive environment for a peace process.”

The status of Jerusalem was at the center of the ministers’ discussions, particularly following last year’s recognition by United States President Donald Trump that the holy city was the capital of Israel, which overturned more than two decades of US policy.

Trump’s decision sparked responses from eight countries — Bolivia, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay — which called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution rejecting the US’ decision.

During Tuesday’s meeting, which was part of the first official visit of an Indonesian foreign minister to Russia in 18 years, Retno said she had used the opportunity to “remind” Russia to contribute funds to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees to help counteract significant recent budget cuts.

“Both Russia and Indonesia are advocating for a peaceful settlement,” Lavrov said during the joint press statement.

Russia is among 11 countries that have agreed to speed up their contributions to help fill an impending shortfall made by the Trump administration’s decision to reduce US funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

UNRWA had a budget of more than US$1 billion in 2017, which covered long-running programs including education and emergency funds for crises such as the war in Syria.

Washington, its largest donor, had been funding one-third of the total budget until January, when it withheld half of the first installment of payments this year, demanding reforms as a condition for future aid.

In addition to this and some other regional issues, Retno said the ministers also discussed the possibility of a free trade deal between Indonesia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which consists of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

“I seek the support of Minister Lavrov to accelerate the process on the establishment of a free trade agreement between Indonesia and the EAEU,” she said.

The agreement, she said, was needed to explore real trade potential between Indonesia and Russia. In 2017, Indonesian trade with Russia was worth US$2.6 billion, 19.7 percent higher than in the previous year.

“While this is encouraging, I believe this does not reflect the real potential of our two countries,” she said. “It is therefore important for us to maintain this positive trend.”

Retno also said she was pleased to learn of President Putin’s plan to visit Indonesia later this year and that she looked forward to upgrading relations with Moscow.

“Russia is amongst the first countries Indonesia developed a [Comprehensive] Partnership with […] back in 2003. With such an intensive development on bilateral relations, it is time for Indonesia and Russia to renew the partnership,” she said, adding that a draft text was currently being negotiated.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.