By Prashanth Parameswaran
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi dismisses criticism of Jakarta’s ‘narrow nationalism’ in a key speech in Washington.
Indonesia’s foreign minister staunchly defended the country’s foreign policy outlook Monday in a key speech in Washington, D.C., rejecting criticism of its narrow nationalism and stressing its important contributions regionally and globally.
Since President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo took office last November, Indonesia’s actions – including its relative neglect of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its decision to sink the fishing vessels of neighboring states to crack down on illegal fishing – had contributed to a perception among some that the country was becoming more inward-looking (See: “Is Indonesia Turning Away from ASEAN Under Jokowi?”).
But in an address to the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO) Monday night ahead of Jokowi’s visit to Washington next month, Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi dismissed these worries of a “narrow nationalism” and a “U-turn” in Indonesian foreign policy.
“On the contrary, eleven months on, Indonesia’s engagement with the international community is even stronger. Indonesia [continues] to have rock-solid commitment and take a proactive approach to bilateral, regional as well as global affairs,” Marsudi said.
Over the past year, Marsudi argued, Indonesia has strengthened bilateral ties with countries around the world, with more than 100 bilateral meetings and dozens of working bilateral visits being conducted at the president as well as the foreign minister level.
Read the full story at The Diplomat