[sub] Political, diplomatic consistency key to securing negotiation outcomes

The vacant ambassadorial posts in both Jakarta and Washington, DC could pose challenges to the ongoing trade tariff negotiations between Indonesia and the United States and potentially disrupt future follow-up efforts, experts have cautioned, as the bilateral relationship hangs in delicate balance.

With the next eight weeks crucial to shaping the dynamics of Indonesia-US relations under their respective new administrations, Jakarta must prioritize its own interests and focus on securing mutually beneficial agreements through consistent and sustainable political dialogue, they asserted. 

Last week, even as a significant portion of the government’s attention was directed toward striking a better trade deal with Washington amid its new “reciprocal” tariff policy, the US Embassy in Jakarta announced that its resident ambassador, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, would conclude her nine-month tenure and leave the country by the end of April.

Lakhdhir, who was appointed by former US president Joe Biden, will be temporarily replaced by the embassy’s deputy chief of mission, Heather C. Merritt, as chargé d’affaires ad interim, according to a US official statement, which offered no details on the next incoming US envoy. 

The withdrawal of a US ambassador following an administration change is a common American diplomatic practice, experts noted. However, at a time of mounting uncertainty surrounding Indonesia-US relations under new leaderships, Lakhdhir’s departure may inadvertently present Jakarta with more challenges as it attempts to secure favor with Washington. 

“Lakhdhir’s departure is more likely related to the domestic situation in the US,” Airlangga University international relations expert Radityo Dharmaputra told The Jakarta Post on Monday. 

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