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Jakarta Post

Iran-Indonesia: A glorious past, a brilliant future

By capitalizing on their undeniably strategic positions in West and Southeast Asia, Iran and Indonesia can work together to manage and mitigate regional conflicts.

Mohammad Boroujerdi (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, February 4, 2025

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Iran-Indonesia: A glorious past, a brilliant future Strategic opportunities: President Prabowo Subianto (third left) prepares to take a group photo with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (fifth right), Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (center), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (fifth left) and other leaders during the D8 summit in Cairo, on Dec. 19, 2024. (Handout/Iran's Presidential Website/Weast Asia News Agency via Reuters)

O

n Feb. 10, the Islamic Republic of Iran will celebrate the 46th anniversary of its revolution's victory, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Iran and Indonesia.

The two great nations have not only enjoyed seven decades of strong bilateral relations, but have also shared a deep-rooted historical connection spanning thousands of years. Throughout this long history, their ties have remained unblemished by conflict or tension.

Following the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, relations between them further strengthened, fostering deeper cooperation and mutual understanding.

Shared Asian cultural values, a predominantly Muslim population, non-alignment with global power blocs, independent foreign policies, advocacy for decolonization and, most importantly, unwavering support for the oppressed Palestinian people have served as fundamental bonds reinforcing Iran-Indonesia relations over the years.

These strong ties have endured even amid the imposition of unilateral and unjust sanctions by the United States and its allies against Iran. Instead of weakening their cooperation, these challenges have fueled both nations' resolve to diversify their relations, drawing inspiration from Iran’s remarkable progress in science, technology and self-sufficiency over the past 46 years.

Iran's advancements in fields such as medicine, nanotechnology, biotechnology, nuclear science and aerospace have further solidified this determination.

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Despite sanctions and external pressures, Iran has leveraged its domestic expertise to achieve groundbreaking success in these areas. The country ranks fourth globally and first regionally in nanotechnology, third globally and first regionally in nuclear medicine and the production of radiopharmaceuticals, 30th worldwide in nuclear power generation, 12th globally and fifth in Asia in biotechnology and 12th globally and first among Islamic nations in aerospace. Additionally, Iran holds the fourth global ranking in satellite carrier production.

Concrete examples of these achievements include the application of nanotechnology across various industries, the export of nanotech products to 49 countries, the development of nuclear medical imaging devices, the production of over 60 types of radiopharmaceuticals and the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals exported worldwide.

Furthermore, Iran successfully launched the Chamran-1 research satellite into a 550-kilometer orbit on Sept. 14, 2024 followed by the launch of the HOD-HOD and Kowsar satellites into a 500 km orbit on Nov. 5. These milestones illustrate Iran’s tangible progress in medicine, nanotechnology, biotechnology, nuclear science and aerospace.

These advancements represent only a fraction of Iran’s achievements over the past 46 years, with significant potential for enhancing bilateral cooperation between Iran and Indonesia. The state visit of the late president Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi to Indonesia on May 23-24, 2023, further paved the way for diversifying bilateral ties.

The signing of 11 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Tehran and Jakarta across various sectors, including politics, economics, health, science, technology and culture, has provided a strong foundation for expanding cooperation. This momentum is expected to continue under the new administrations of both nations.

Iran and Indonesia's foreign policy approaches, rooted in fostering new avenues of collaboration and strengthening friendly international relations based on dialogue, cooperation, equality and mutual respect, offer both nations a wide scope to play influential roles as middle powers on regional and global stages. By capitalizing on their undeniably strategic positions in West and Southeast Asia, Iran and Indonesia can work together to manage and mitigate regional conflicts, thereby shaping the geopolitical landscape of their respective regions.

On the global stage, Iran and Indonesia can advance their shared vision of a just and balanced world order by enhancing cooperation within the framework of South-South collaboration. Indonesia’s full membership in BRICS presents a golden opportunity for deepening bilateral ties at the international level, yielding substantial benefits not only for the two countries, but also for all BRICS members and the broader Global South.

For over seven decades, the Palestinian cause has remained the foremost issue for the Islamic world, forming a significant aspect of Iran-Indonesia international cooperation. The policies and actions of both nations concerning Palestine are not merely reflections of their Islamic principles, but are also enshrined in their respective constitutions.

As a result, Iran and Indonesia have consistently been at the forefront of resolute and comprehensive support for the oppressed Palestinian people; support that has intensified over the past 15 months in response to the escalating atrocities committed by the Israeli-Zionist regime.

With the victory of the Palestinian people against the Zionist regime and the establishment of a ceasefire, the time has come for Iran and Indonesia to further enhance their cooperation in supporting Palestinian independence. This must be grounded in the fundamental principle of self-determination for the Palestinian people.

In recent years, Iran and Indonesia have taken significant strides toward strengthening their bilateral relations across multiple sectors. Nevertheless, the path to fully realizing the vast potential of cooperation between these two great nations remains long, requiring strong determination and political will from the leadership of both countries.

As we commemorate 46 years of the Islamic Republic and 75 years of Iran-Indonesia relations, we look forward to an even brighter future; one marked by deeper collaboration, mutual prosperity and shared aspirations on the global stage.

***

The writer is Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia.

 

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