checked by Melinda
\nFOR COUNTRY Profile
\nSwede<\/p>\n
Broader and deeper relations<\/p>\n
To coincide with the Swedish National Day today, the country's
\nambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Harald Sandberg, who has been on
\nassignment here for four years, shares his views on many things,
\nincluding bilateral ties between Sweden and Indonesia and his
\nfondness of motorcycles.<\/p>\n
Question: During your four years here, have you had a \"motto\"
\nthat gives you direction in your work?<\/p>\n
Sandberg: Well, maybe I see it more as a motto that we have at
\nthe embassy, rather than something of my own. What we are doing
\nis really a group effort, with the Swedish and Indonesian staff
\nworking together. But, yes, we have tried, in all different
\nfields of work of the embassy, to be led by the concept \"to
\ndeepen and broaden relations\".<\/p>\n
Our two countries have long-standing good and close relations,
\ndating back to Indonesia's independence. We have cooperated at
\nthe UN on North-South issues, we have had academic and cultural
\nexchange, exchange of travel and tourism and, last but not least,
\nthe backbone of our relations over the years, a very healthy
\ntrade and investment relationship.<\/p>\n
Relations between two countries, for me, primarily mean
\npeople-to-people relations, and that's why it is so important to
\nencourage broad relations in as many fields as possible. Sweden
\nis an active supporter of the Partnership for Governance Reform;
\nwe have supported cooperation between the Raoul Wallenberg
\nInstitute for Human Rights in Sweden and the Ministry of Justice
\nand Human Rights, as well as with the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights (Komnas Ham) and the National Commission on Women
\n(Komnas Perempuan).<\/p>\n
We have supported the Indonesian Ombudsman's contacts with the
\nSwedish Ombudsman and the Swedish International Development
\nCooperation Agency (SIDA) is also supporting the cooperation
\nbetween Radio Republic Indonesia (RRI) and Radio Sweden
\nInternational, with the aim of contributing to RRI's introduction
\nof the concept of public service broadcasting.<\/p>\n
We have, in our cooperation, also focused on the environment
\nand on sustainable development. Sweden and Indonesia have common
\nground in that they are both countries with large forests, and we
\nhave had Swedish experts here working with the Indonesian
\nforestry sector to safeguard the environment. In all these
\nefforts, we are trying to support Indonesia's own reform
\npriorities, within areas where we believe that we have a
\ncompetence useful for sharing with Indonesia. I see very much a
\ntwo-way street, where both parties are sharing experiences and
\nlearning from each other.<\/p>\n
You said that the backbone of relations over the years has
\nbeen trade and investment?<\/p>\n
Yes, we don't always think about it that way, but when you are
\ntalking people-to-people relations, it is really globalization in
\ntrade and investment that has meant the most in all our contacts
\nbetween countries. When I see an Indonesian-made product in a
\nSwedish IKEA store in Baltimore in the U.S., that's when I really
\nfeel the extent the world is changing. I strongly believe that
\nthis change is for the better -- it is open trade, open borders,
\ntolerance for other people's beliefs and cultures, a free market,
\nstrong institutions and society built on law that has given a
\nlarge degree of wealth and security to the peoples of the
\nindustrialized world. The challenge for the 21st century is to
\ndeliver security and wealth also to the majority of the world's
\npopulation, living in the developing countries. Globalization
\ngives structural adjustment, which means changes in society.
\nStructural adjustment is never easy, but it is still
\nglobalization that delivers hope for our future.<\/p>\n
Swedish and Indonesian trade is now back to precrisis levels,
\nwith mutual bilateral trade now at around 500 million U.S.
\ndollars per year. Hidden behind these figures you will find the
\ntraders of Elof Hanson contributing to wealth on both the Swedish
\nand Indonesian sides as well as the Indonesian drivers that are
\nsafe in Volvo cars. Also, behind the figures are all the Lux and
\nElectrolux home appliances used in many Indonesian homes and the
\nmany Indonesian and Scandinavian travelers with SAS. Welding
\nspecialists ESAB and Avesta Polarit are delivering jobs and
\nwealth to Indonesian families and millions and millions of
\nIndonesians are talking to each other over Sony Ericsson cellular
\nphones and Ericsson telephone exchanges and equipment. And, of
\ncourse, when talking about industry and trade as people-to-people
\nrelations, one must not forget the many Swedes with Indonesian
\nfurniture at home, or using Indonesian-made clothing and
\ntextiles.<\/p>\n
During my years in Indonesia, representatives of Swedish
\ncompanies have formed a Swedish Business Association (SBA) here
\nin Jakarta. Later this year the embassy, together with the SBA
\nand Indonesian counterparts, is planning an event to exchange
\nviews on an open world, open trade and free markets, where
\nindustry, organizations and academics will get a chance to
\nexchange views on building wealth. During my years here, I have
\nalso seen the Indonesian Swedish Association, with a broader
\nagenda on expanding contacts between our two countries,
\nreactivate itself and widen its activities, including in the
\ncultural field.<\/p>\n
Yes, what about the cultural field?<\/p>\n
There are long-standing relations also in the cultural field.
\nAcademic institutions in Sweden and Indonesia have cooperated in
\ndifferent fields, and the Sunobodoyo Museum in Yogyakarta has an
\nactive relation with the Ethnographic Museum in Stockholm,
\nSweden. There have, of course, been many more contacts in
\nacademia and culture over the years, with and without the
\ninvolvement of the embassy. As interest on both sides is growing
\nwe are also trying to contribute from the embassy.<\/p>\n
This year, we are organizing a large art exhibition at Gedung
\nArsip Nasional -- it will in fact be opened tonight by the
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono. We have invited nine contemporary artists from
\nSweden, and they will display over 100 works of art.<\/p>\n
Some of the participating artists will come to Jakarta, to be
\npresent at the exhibition and to meet Indonesian colleagues, art
\nstudents and a hopefully interested public. This exhibition, I
\nhope, will fuel a mutual interest to learn more about our two
\ncultures. We have also invited noted Swedish archaeologist Bengt
\nEdgren, who will meet with interested parties in both Jakarta and
\nYogyakarta to discuss the preservation of historical sites, and
\nwho will share his experience of such work in Sweden.<\/p>\n
I understand that you own a motorcycle?<\/p>\n
I first started to ride a motorcycle when I was going through
\nofficer's training in the Swedish Army many years ago. I took it
\nup again some 10 years ago, and actually became the President of
\nthe Swedish Foreign Ministry's Motorcycle Club. I do have a
\nHarley-Davidson motorcycle here in Jakarta, and I use it a little
\nto relax and to have some fun. It is a good contrast to the daily
\nlife of a diplomat!<\/p>",
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