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.
Indonesia’s diplomatic hat trick
President Jokowi’s mission has raised awareness that the only option is to stop, not prolong, the war.
Change Size
Side by side: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin head to a joint press conference at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 30.
(Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau/Laily Rachev)
The world has continued to confront extraordinary and unprecedented challenges, ranging from the devastating socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic to geopolitical conflict, that have divided the international community when unity is needed the most.
The end of the pandemic will not happen anytime soon. Neither will the war in Ukraine or geopolitical tensions as economic and climate crises haunt us. The ravaging forest fires in Europe and the United States should serve as a reminder of the need for solutions through global collaboration. Without such cooperation, things will get worse, and many countries, like Sri Lanka, will pay a devastating price.
Indonesia’s Group of 20 presidency comes at an unprecedented juncture, where leadership with credibility, credentials and consistency on principled positions is required.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent diplomatic journey is, therefore, unique, as he had to walk a thin line to advance the cause for humanity while promoting recovery and world peace. It began at the end of June in Elmau, Germany, where he attended the Group of Seven Summit as partner. Then he visited Kyiv and Moscow, before the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) in Bali on July 7 and 8.
In my view, President Jokowi has scored a hat trick in advancing Indonesia’s diplomacy. The following are the reasons.
First, Indonesia’s G20 presidency confronted an exceedingly tough challenge as the war in Ukraine started. Maintaining the integrity and unity of G20 as the primary global forum on global economic and finance has become the trickiest issue.
The President attended the G7 summit with three main objectives in mind: ensuring an effective G20 for all, promoting peace in Ukraine and addressing the pressing global food and energy crises. The three missions received positive responses and paved the way for his trips to Ukraine and Russia.
