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Jokowi has boosted bilateral ties, but multilateralism needs work
The administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla has managed to boost its role in bilateral relations, but the country still has to work harder within the multilateral setting, an expert has said.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center), accompanied by Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade Supandi (left) and other senior officials, inspects the warship KRI Imam Bonjol 383 after a Cabinet meeting onboard in Natuna waters, Riau Islands, earlier in the year. (Courtesy Setpres/Krishadiyanto)
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he administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla has managed to boost Indonesia's role in bilateral relations, but the country still has to work harder within the multilateral setting, an expert has said.
Indonesia’s role in the bilateral context had grown steadily in the first two years of Jokowi's administration, however, the President was much too absent in multilateral platforms for the country to take on a leadership role, international law expert from University of Indonesia, Hikmahanto Juawana, said on Wednesday.
Commending Jokowi’s concrete actions to uphold the government’s foreign policy and territorial integrity within bilateral interactions, Hikmahanto cited the example of the President’s bold statement when it came to Natuna, Riau Islands, where one of Indonesia's outermost regions had come under spotlight earlier this year following skirmishes with Chinese fishing vessels.
"Holding the limited cabinet meeting aboard a warship was as though it had brought the country face-to-face with China," Hikmahanto told The Jakarta Post.
However, he continued, the President often passes on multilateral gatherings, effectively missing out on opportunities for the country to influence. For example, Hikmahanto noted, last month Jokowi did not attend the UN General Assembly and instead had the vice president speak at the event.
The President must be more present on the global stage and also had to deliver more initiatives to engage with the international community, he said.
"It is important for Indonesia's presence to be felt by other countries in order to increase its role and leadership in global platforms," Hikmahanto said. (evi)
