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View all search resultsMinister Retno’s outlook
The foreign minister has the opportunity to leave a bold legacy at the Foreign Ministry. Her foreign policy choices will help determine ASEAN’s success under Indonesia’s leadership this year.
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I
n her year-opening press conference on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi talked in detail about the country’s diplomatic achievements in 2022 and her top priorities as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s chief diplomat this year as the country assumes the rotary ASEAN chairmanship.
Retno maintained that the country had excelled on at least five diplomatic fronts last year: the maintenance of national sovereignty, the protection of its citizens, economic diplomacy, public health and contributions to regional and world peace.
This year, the ministry has set four targets: diplomatic progress on questions of sovereignty, including land and sea borders; citizen protection; economic cooperation; and active participation in peace and humanitarian diplomacy.
The President, too, has set ambitious diplomatic targets reflected in the theme of Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship “ASEAN matters: Epicentrum of growth”. This mirrors his focus on the economy, typical of the pragmatic leader.
The theme, according to Retno, embodies Indonesia’s determination “to make ASEAN important and relevant for the people of ASEAN and beyond”.
This year will likely be the zenith of President Jokowi’s foreign policy. He steps down in October 2024, but as the general elections will be held on Feb. 14, 2024, the last eight months of his term will be occupied with ensuring a smooth transition of power.
The foreign minister knows very well that the President wants to leave his mark on ASEAN by achieving a breakthrough in efforts to end the humanitarian crisis besetting Myanmar. The Foreign Ministry has set up a special team to address the issue, the Office of Special Envoy, which directly answers to the minister. Retno has reportedly proposed former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda for the role of special envoy.
