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.