Ambassador Smith thrives on variety challenges
JAKARTA (JP): Changes and challenges are as common for those working in the foreign service as the congested morning ride to work is for most Jakartans.
While some loathe continual shifts, others thrive on new personal and professional challenges.
Canada's new Ambassador to Jakarta Gary J. Smith admitted he thrives on variety.
"What I like most about the foreign service is that you keep changing locality and subjects," he told The Jakarta Post, adding "some people like stability...I like change."
"I am not the sort of person who would like to go to the same place of work, riding the same bus," he remarked.
He recently presented his credentials to President Soeharto to begin his term here as ambassador replacing Lawrence Dickenson.
Smith is a career diplomat whose credentials include a stint as director general for the Asia and Pacific branch of the Canadian foreign ministry.
He has served in a number of posts -- Moscow, Tel Aviv, New Delhi -- and most recently in Bonn where he was deputy ambassador between 1989 to 1993.
Apparently Smith was "hooked" on international affairs at a young age. "I joined the foreign service 11-days after I wrote my last exam in university," he said.
Smith graduated with honors in political science and economics from York University. This past year he was a fellow at Harvard University.
"The matters that I deal with everyday are the matters that are on the front pages of newspapers," Smith said describing his occupation.
Apart from improved commercial ties, Smith places increased mutual awareness as a priority here.
"I would like to see a much better understanding of Indonesia within Canada, and a much better recognition within Indonesia of Canada," he said.
Smith's priorities are apt as mutual knowledge is limited despite over 40-years of ties.
This is in part due to Canada's history of paying closer attention to commonwealth countries. It is also due to Indonesia's tardiness in making Canadians aware of the country.
An immediate challenge for Ambassador Smith will be improving ties between Jakarta and Ottawa which have soured in the past months.
A mild diplomatic rift erupted when Ottawa expressed criticism of Indonesia's Ambassador to Ottawa Benjamin Parwoto's alleged intimidation of Theresa Galhos in East Timor.
While on a visit here in January, Parwoto went to Dili to meet with Theresa and allegedly urged her to stop her daughter holding anti-Indonesian activities in Canada.
Though the rift has publicly cooled, sources have said Ottawa might wish to see Parwoto quickly removed.
Smith, when asked, gave a diplomatic answer: "It is our goal and objective to expand our relationship with Indonesia, and in order to do that we need both an effective embassy here and an effective embassy there."
While the bilateral relationship is on the whole very good, Smith admits "there are bound, within a vast and deep relationship, to be issues we will disagree on."
These issues include East Timor and democratization: areas where Smith says Jakarta and Ottawa "have some differing perspectives."
Having prepared himself well, Smith claims there have been no major surprises in the two months of living here. His only lament is the traffic.
"When you come with delegations and particularly with prime ministers, you are able to travel through the city rather quickly," Smith said.
Aside from that "it is very much as I expected it would be, and that is why I wanted to come."
Having visited Jakarta several times before with diplomatic delegations, Smith said his aim is now to see more of Indonesia with his wife, Laurielle.
"My problem is where I should go first and how I am going to visit 17,000 islands in three to four years," he quipped.
During his free time Smith likes to play tennis, golf, go horseback riding and tries to swim every morning.
"I've joined JAGA," he said referring to the Jakarta Ambassadors Golf Association, adding "a lot of business can get done on a golf course." (mds)