Indonesia and Singapore Committed to Strengthening Bilateral Ties

The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore recently held a diplomatic reception commemorating the 78th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence Day.

IDXChannel - The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore recently held a diplomatic reception commemorating the 78th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence Day at the Ritz Carlton Millenia Hotel.

The reception was attended by more than 700 guests consisting of government officials and the diplomatic community in Singapore, businesses, think tanks, and friends of Indonesia. The event took Kalimantan as the main theme. 

The arrival of Minister of National Development, Desmond Lee, acted as Guest-of-Honor, and all guests were welcomed by Enggang Dance performed by Serumpun Lima, a group of dancers from Kalimantan. Enggang Dance illustrates the grace and the beauty of exotic hornbills from East Kalimantan.

In his remark, Ambassador Suryo Pratomo, who is usually called Pak Tommy, introduced his outfit named Mahligai. It originated from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Province. The plain black of the outfit symbolises Balikpapan as a City of Oil. The golden colour on its accessories and embroidery represents wisdom and prosperity. 

"In its 78th Anniversary, Indonesia has made a lot of progress on the national, regional, and global levels in many areas. With a growing population of almost 300 million people combined with economic growth and vibrant democracy, Indonesia is predicted to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by its centenary in 2045," the Indonesian Embassy stated in a media release on Tuesday (29/8/2023).

"In terms of bilateral relations with Singapore, as the closest neighbour and strategic partner, Indonesia’s bilateral relations are getting stronger, growing from strength to strength. The closeness of Singapore and Indonesia can be viewed from the frequent visits of leaders and high officials. President Joko Widodo visited Singapore for the Leaders’ Retreat in March this year and in early June to speak at the Ecosperity Week," the Indonesian Embassy stated.

In trade, Singapore continues to be Indonesia’s most strategic trading partner and the biggest in ASEAN. Indonesia is also Singapore’s 2nd largest trading partner in ASEAN, with a 17% share of the total trade. Total bilateral trade value in 2022 reached USD33.8 billion, increasing by 24.6% year-on-year compared to 2021. This value is 2nd highest in the last five years and biggest after the pandemic.

There were seven bilateral agreements and memorandum of understanding signed by the governments of Indonesia and Singapore during the Leaders’ Retreat in March this year. The RISING Fellowship program which was initiated in 2018 to increase the capacity of regional leaders, as well as the Executive Development Programme for senior government officials in cooperation between National Development Planning (Bappenas), Temasek Foundation, and the Nanyang Technological University, are also continued after the pandemic.

Other collaboration in digital and healthcare is also on the rise between the two countries with nine business-to-business agreements signed and more to come.

This strong collaboration is not only done for bilateral relations to complement each other’s interests nationally but also to contribute to regional and global levels. While striving to keep stability and prosperity at the national level, Indonesia has always been consistently making efforts to contribute to the regional and global level in various ways.

The roles are also acknowledged by the Singaporean Minister of Development who stated the important role Indonesia played during its G20 Presidency in 2022 and Chairman of ASEAN this year. Indonesia helped to advance economic integration and cooperation. It means a lot in the midst of a world full of fragmentation and challenges.

As the largest foreign investor in Indonesia since 2014, Singapore looks to continue the trend this year. From January and June 2023, Singapore invested USD7.7 billion. It shows a strong vote of confidence in Indonesia’s prospects and potential. Apart from the existing collaboration in many areas of cooperation, both countries look forward to working together on new and emerging issues. (WHY)