Strengthening RI-Dutch ties

Strengthening RI-Dutch ties

Retno L.P. Marsudi, Jakarta

Only last week, the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands
visited Indonesia. This weekend, the Minister of Economic Affairs
of the Netherlands will also visit Indonesia. How do all these
visits signify efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between
Indonesia and the Netherlands?

Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot, who was born in Batavia, has
visited Indonesia three times in the last seven months. His
personal attachment to Indonesia contributes to better relations
between two countries, including addressing sensitive issues that
always emerge in the bilateral relation due to the historical
ties between two countries. But more importantly, the two
countries should be able to build a firm foundation to strengthen
bilateral relations. The inevitable historical ties between the
two should be utilized as an asset rather than a liability for
their relations. The ability of the two countries to bring more
"meat" in their relations, based on understanding and mutual
respect, is the key word to make relations stronger.

In the last couple of years, the two countries has developed
good relations, among others, through the signing of the MOU on
Intensifying Relations which covers efforts to improve
cooperation on certain issues of mutual interest. The regular
mechanism of dialog becomes a very important element in the
bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands taking
into consideration the historical background of the two.

Through regular dialog, the two countries can prevent the use
of "megaphone diplomacy" - which always creates a
counterproductive situation rather than produce positive results
-- and at the same time results in better networking between the
two capitals.

The fact that officials from the countries can easily convey
important and sensitive messages through phone conversations and
even SMS (short message service), to some extent, shows the
closeness and maturity of the relations. This mechanism has been
proven capable of containing unnecessary reaction on politically
sensitive issues that always emerge between the two.

This week, the Economic Minister of the Netherlands will also
visit Indonesia. The prime aim of the visit is to attend the 18th
Meeting of the Mixed Commission on Economic Cooperation (MCEC)
between Indonesia and the Netherlands held Feb. 13-15, 2005. The
MCEC was formed in 1968 and aimed at boosting bilateral economic
cooperation.

Thus far six working groups has been set up under the MCEC,
namely the working group on trade and investment, agriculture,
energy, transportation and communication, research and
technology; and public works, housing and spatial planning.

In addition to the regular meeting, the MCEC will also
organize a special session on bilateral cooperation to
rehabilitate and reconstruct Aceh on Feb. 14.

Moreover, during the visit, Minister Brinkhorst and Minister
Bakrie will also sign an MOU on the program for cooperation with
emerging markets.

It is very interesting to observe how bilateral economic
cooperation can work with members of the European Union while
most of their economic related policies have already been
submitted to the European Commission. This submission of economic
power is usually used by member countries of the European Union
to show reluctance, prevent or even terminate the economic
bilateral cooperation with third countries. Much room remains
available to strengthen economic cooperation via the bilateral
channel.

The cooperation on capacity building to meet the regulations
and standard of the European Commission is one of the examples on
how bilateral economic cooperation remains important for the two
countries. In other words, the European Commission only provides
regulations and monitors its implementation while the
implementation itself remains in the hands of individual member
countries and therefore the door for bilateral economic
cooperation remains opened.

The results of the MCEC and most importantly its concrete
implementation will mark another success of bilateral relations
between Indonesia and the Netherlands. If the two countries can
maintain an excellent political dialog as it has now and use it
as a basis to improve economic cooperation, in future we will
only witness long lasting good cooperation between Indonesia and
the Netherlands.

The writer is a senior diplomat. The article represents her
personal views.