Despite being the largest economy in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populous country in the world (280 million inhabitants, the vast majority Muslim), Indonesia is characterized by keeping a low profile in the international arena, where it occupies a less prominent place than it a priori it corresponds.
That perception turned upside down at the recent G-20 summit that hosted the paradisiacal Bali, one of the 17,000 islands that make up its territory. There, with a careful combination of left hand, knowing how to be and organization, the hosts managed to prevail a certain sense of understanding and cooperation at a time of soaring tensions -war in Ukraine, North Korean missiles, China-USA tensions-, which it even crystallized in a final joint declaration that days before seemed unattainable.
“Before, almost everyone was pessimistic,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stressed on Wednesday. “In previous international meetings, everyone else has failed, so to reach this final statement with the consensus of all parties is, in my opinion, extraordinary,” she congratulated herself.
Much of the success is attributable to its president, Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi. At 61 years old, the affable and smiling style of this former furniture salesman provided a good dose of serenity to the tense meeting. The leader set the tone throughout, whether calling for an end to the war in Europe or leading leaders to plant mangroves in the tropical heat to draw attention to climate change. In the end, he served his own national interests by raising $20 billion in funding to decarbonize his economy.
More than half a century after hosting the Bandung Conference (1955), the origin of the Non-Aligned Movement in the midst of the Cold War, Indonesia continues to raise the flag of non-alienation in a world once again divided into blocs. This allows it to participate in joint military exercises with US troops in waters whose sovereignty is disputed with China. At the same time, it is strengthening its commercial ties with Beijing, with the door open to its investments in much-needed infrastructure projects in a country set to be the world’s fourth largest economy by mid-century.
The latest results are not a flash in the pan, but the culmination of months of elaborate diplomacy. At the end of June, Widodo had no qualms about traveling 11 hours by train from Poland to kyiv to hand-deliver to President Volodimir Zelenski the invitation to the G20 summit he was organizing. From there, he traveled to Moscow to do the same with Vladimir Putin despite Western pressure not to invite him.
Although neither accepted his offer, both countries participated in the forum. The Kremlin sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who remained in his seat while Zelensky assured by videoconference that they will not allow Moscow to “take a breather and rebuild its forces” after recapturing Kherson. For their part, the rest of the leaders present also remained in their places when the Russian foreign minister addressed those present, in contrast to the frightened events registered in previous international forums.
Indonesia wanted the forum to recover part of its essence as a cooperation center, albeit theoretical, and its obsession was to achieve a joint declaration. For this, the role of Widodo’s team was key when it came to convincing Western leaders to relax their positions and moderate their critical language towards Moscow, so that countries more reluctant to direct targeting such as China and India would say “yes” to the document.
“Indonesia deserves considerable credit for pulling this summit off the ground,” Greg Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told Bloomberg. “Also, after all the political fireworks, they were able to discuss the real issues Indonesia wanted on the agenda: food security, climate change and energy security. That is a win,” he added.
Recent events reinforce the shift Widodo has sponsored in recent times to gradually increase Indonesia’s international presence. Last year, his administration played a notable role in the negotiations that led Washington to pull out of Afghanistan. The nation is also leading efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to hold Burmese’s coup-led military junta to account.
Widodo will fulfill his second and last term in 2024. Until then, his main objective will continue to be to improve the situation of his population, overwhelmed by inflation and the rise in food prices, and to obtain financing for the new capital of the country that will be built. going to build in Borneo. That without ceasing to bet on dialogue. “We need cooperation and collaboration, not rivalries or open conflicts,” he said shortly after seeing off the last of the international leaders present in Bali.
