President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has inaugurated 16 new envoys with instructions to enhance economic diplomacy and boost cooperation in other areas of international affairs.

The new ambassadors, most of them career diplomats, were inaugurated at the State Palace on Monday and will be posted across the globe.

Among notable new envoys was Mahendra Siregar, a career diplomat mostly known for his stints with economic responsibilities, who is ambassador-designate to the United States.

His new position comes amid a tough time with the ongoing trade war between the US and China, raising concerns from countries and business players regarding the impact of trade tensions on the global economy.

Despite expectations that the trade dispute will not drag on, Mahendra said the situation might continue for some time. However, he said Indonesia would address the situation wisely and continue efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and the economic partnership with the US.

“Like it or not, we have to accept the international dynamics as a factual condition, but we don’t have to be concerned for our national interests,” Mahendra said.

“I still see Indonesia’s potential and our strategic position as the point of interest for all countries, including the US, to maintain good relations.”

Among the prioritized areas to be explored for further cooperation between the two countries were energy and mineral resources, industry, transportation and technology, he said.

Improving the economic partnership is also a priority for Cheppy T. Wartono, a former lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), who was posted to Mexico and accredited to Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Cheppy said he aimed at boosting trade relations with the designated countries, including through the MIKTA partnership, a middle-power grouping consisting of Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia, as well as through the Pacific Alliance trade bloc.

The President wanted to enhance relations with Latin American countries, including economic relations, as there was huge market potential yet to be fully explored, Cheppy said.

The Trade Ministry recorded Indonesia’s exports to Mexico at US$762.6 million from January to October last year, decreasing 10.27 percent from the same period in 2017, recorded at $849.9 million.

“The President wants to increase exports [to Mexico], to triple them if possible, and also invite investment to Indonesia, particularly in agriculture and livestock,” Cheppy said.

Other career diplomats sworn in as envoys included Muhammad Anshor to Chile; Al Busyra Basnur to Ethiopia, Djibouti and the African Union; Dewa Made Juniarta Satrawan to Zimbabwe and Zambia; Edi Yusuf to Brazil; and Wajid Fauzi to Syria.

Former Indonesian consul general in New York Abdulkadir Jailani becomes the envoy to Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization, while former director for citizen protection Lalu Muhammad Iqbal has been posted to Turkey.

There were six other envoys who would be inaugurated soon, as they were awaiting agreement from the designated countries, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

Foreign Ministry spokeman Arrmanatha Nasir, who was inaugurated as ambassador to France, Andorra, Monaco and the UNESCO, said he would work closely with France on the United Nations Security Council, of which Indonesia is a nonpermanent member for the 2019-2020 term.

“Indonesia and France traditionally share many similar positions and the [UNSC] will be a good place for us to cooperate,” he said.

Other envoys being sworn in included Abdurachman Hudiono Dimas Wahab to Hungary; Hajriyanto Thohari to Lebanon; Julang Pujianto to Suriname and Guyana; Siti Nugraha Mauludiah to Poland; Sunaryo Kartadinata to Uzbekistan and Kyrgizstan and Tri Tharyat to Kuwait.

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