Polish envoy vows to reshape Poland's ties with Indonesia

Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When you aspire to reach the highest rank, it is honorable to reach the second or even the third rank. But even if one gets past the second and third ranks and reaches the apex of one's chosen profession, one may still face difficulties if one is very young.

Poland's new ambassador to Indonesia, Tomasz Lukaszuk, who submitted his credentials to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on March 29, 2005, has faced a number of problems in convincing people that he is, in fact, the Polish ambassador to Indonesia.

This is because Tomasz is just 40 years old and has 13 years of experience in the Polish foreign service. He previously worked in Jakarta as the second and first secretary as well as deputy chief of mission between 1998 and 2002. Many people in Jakarta knew him as the first secretary at the Polish Embassy and never expected the young and energetic diplomat to so quickly reach the top of his profession.

At least two senior journalists didn't believe that Tomasz had been appointed ambassador.

"Prior to receiving this news, I met him on one occasion and even asked him (Tomasz) who was Poland's new ambassador, assuming that he was still the first secretary," one journalist from a leading newspaper said laughing.

Another journalist was convinced it could not be true. "Come on, how come Tomasz could become an ambassador at such a young age?" he asked doggedly.

Generally, people think that ambassadors must be older -- in their 50s or 60s, or about to retire.

But Tomasz, who joined the foreign service in 1992, said that there was nothing extraordinary in becoming the ambassador at the age of 40 in his country.

"We are in a transition period (from dictatorship to democracy). We are in the process of restructuring the foreign service. The basic criteria for the ambassadorial post is not age but rather experience, ability and knowledge (about the country of posting). We have several young ambassadors like me," Tomasz told The Jakarta Post recently at his office.

Tomasz says Poland -- a Central European state -- attaches great importance to its relationship with Indonesia -- which has the largest Muslim population in the world.

"This is reflected in our long relationship with Indonesia. This year we are going to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations," Tomasz, an experienced and adept career-diplomat, who also served in Norway, told the Post.

This may be because, according to Tomasz, both countries have many similarities. Both had similar red-and-white flags. The Polish and Indonesian people were lovers of music and the performing arts, and both cultures were very rich. Both countries were also the main powers in their respective regions."

"Previously, Poland and Indonesia suffered under authoritarian regimes. Both are now the emerging democracies. We are happy that the transition from authoritarian regime to democracy in Indonesia went smoothly. We congratulate the Indonesian people for this," said Tomasz, who graduated from the State Institute of International Relations in Moscow and has a Master's degree in European Law from Warsaw University.

From his early days, Indonesia was no stranger to Tomasz, who speaks fluent Polish, English, Indonesian, Norwegian and Russian, and spends his leisure time climbing mountains, especially volcanoes.

"I first came to Indonesia in 1988 on a mountaineering trip. Myself and my friends scaled many mountains on Java, Sumatra and Lombok islands. Indonesia is a beautiful country and Indonesian people are very friendly and helpful. After finishing my studies, I came here as a diplomat in 1998. I had the opportunity to witness Indonesia's historic transition to a democratic system and the first-ever free and peaceful elections," Tomasz, who has two young sons, said.

His knowledge of Indonesia, diplomatic skills and, most importantly, his experience as the number two man in the Polish mission in Jakarta made him the most suitable candidate for the post of ambassador to Indonesia. That's why the Polish government, without any hesitation, appointed him as its representative in Jakarta.

When asked whether he planned to climb any more mountains here, the son of a university professor said mountaineering took up a lot of time.

"As an ambassador, I have virtually no time to pursue my favorite hobby, which is very time consuming. But personally speaking, I love mountains and want to climb them. Presently, I am playing tennis regularly," Tomasz said.

The youngest ambassador here described his main mission in Indonesia as being to strengthen the existing 50-year-old relationship between the two countries and to nurture cooperation in all fields so as to turn that relationship into a long-term strategic partnership.