The case for a strong RI-Dutch partnership

The case for a strong RI-Dutch partnership

Bernard Bot, Jakarta

All over the world bilateral relations and regional
cooperation are flourishing, even if only a few people have
noticed. The globalization of the economy is being followed by
the globalization of politics. In the next ten years new
worldwide networks will arise in response to global issues.
Governments and societies are seeking closer ties with one
another in the face of new threats and challenges.

These new threats are very diverse, but they share a common
feature: They do not respect national borders. Global warming,
rising sea levels, decreasing biodiversity and fisheries
depletion; they threaten us regardless of nationality, ethnicity
or religion. So does global terrorism. Terrorists kill
indiscriminately, as Indonesians know all too well.

Gradually, we are all waking up to the fact that, in a
globalised world, national interests and common interests have
become two sides of the same coin. In this new world, there is a
new rule: If what seems good for us is not good for you, it
cannot truly be good for us. Cross-border challenges can only
effectively be dealt with through cross-border responses. "Unity
in diversity", which is the motto of both Indonesia and the
European Union, therefore deserves to become the entire world's
motto.

Against this background, I believe that Indonesia and the
Netherlands are natural candidates for a close, strong
partnership. Why Indonesia and the Netherlands? After all, our
two countries are some 14,000 kilometers apart! Still, there is
something special about our relationship, which makes it
impossible for many citizens of the one country to be indifferent
about events in the other. Many Dutch citizens have personal ties
with Indonesia and vice versa. We have a common cultural heritage
that we should cherish and put to greater use.

Moreover, Indonesia is a major partner in many areas of mutual
concern. First of all, we consider Indonesia a prime mover in
promoting regional cooperation in Asia. For us Indonesia also
represents great economic potential as a market and as a trading
partner. And there is more.

The Netherlands has been Indonesia's closest partner in
raising education standards for some years now. Both Indonesia
and the Netherlands regard education as a crucial "enabler" in
the struggle against poverty. Poverty still holds back the
economic development of millions of Indonesians. My country will
continue to support Indonesia wherever Indonesians believe our
help is most needed and we believe our aid is well spent.

As the world's largest habitat for many different species of
animals and plants, Indonesia is a crucial reservoir of untapped
knowledge. Think of the medicines still to be discovered in your
tropical forests! And then think about all the illegal logging
taking place. Three-quarters of log production in Indonesia comes
from illegal sources. This is a worrying phenomenon, both for
Indonesians who care about their country's future and for the
international community as a whole. As part of a serious legal
offensive against the logging mafia, the Netherlands could offer
legal and technical expertise and we could jointly develop more
sustainable logging techniques.

Also, without Indonesia there could be no effective fight
against cross-border crime. A case in point is piracy in the
Malacca Strait. In 2007, two state-of-the-art Dutch-built ships
will reinforce the Indonesian navy's capacity to control its
territorial waters. The number of incidents in the Malacca Strait
already appears to have dropped since Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore stepped up patrols on 20 July. This is good news for
international maritime trade.

Likewise, the fight against terrorism could not be fought
successfully without Indonesia. Only last month, the opening of
the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation marked the
beginning of intensive international cooperation and partnership
in this field, with Australia and the Netherlands -- backed by
the European Union -- as two of Indonesia's main partners.

In addition, the Netherlands would welcome a clear Indonesian
voice in the global dialogue between civilizations. Indonesia has
a natural right to speak up, as a democratic country with more
Muslims than any other in the world, and as a country that
harbors and cherishes long Christian, Hindu and Buddhist
traditions. The Netherlands, itself home to almost a million
Muslims, offers scholarships to Indonesian students of Islam and
would be interested in developing bilateral initiatives to build
international bridges.

The Netherlands is also an attractive partner for Indonesia.
We are an open-minded trading country, well respected in the
European Union and the transatlantic community. Similarities
between our two countries' legal and governmental structures
makes our society more transparent for Indonesians, so that the
Netherlands can serve as an excellent bridgehead for Indonesian
companies that want to tap the benefits of the single European
market.

The bilateral relationship my country envisages is broad and
deep. It would cover all issues of common concern, and it would
be open and constructive in its tone and style. We would like our
two peoples to be able to travel freely between our two countries
and we would like to see our trade relations grow in intensity
and volume.

In an open and constructive relationship, there will be room
for disagreement and for discussion about issues that either one
of us feels strongly about. Indonesia is well aware of what
issues the Netherlands feels strongly about. Most of them fall
into the category of the rule of law. Without the rule of law a
democracy remains inherently vulnerable to abuses of power, to
what Indonesians refer to as KKN (Corruption, Collusion and
Nepotism), and the social instability that follows. Without a
level playing field for all, investors are scared off and
economic development is hampered.

Another issue is regional autonomy. The Netherlands, like the
rest of the European Union, fully supports Indonesias unity and
stability. But we Europeans know from experience that there can
be no unity if diversity is not allowed to flourish. That is why
we strongly support the Special Autonomy Law for Papua, adopted
by the Indonesian government in 2002. In implementing it fully,
which would include installing the Papua People's Council,
Indonesia would be acting according to the motto of which it is
rightly proud.

The aim of developing a close partnership is an inextricable
part of Dutch policy towards Indonesia. And in the light of the
common challenges we face and the interests we share, there is
both a greater need and a greater chance of success for joint
initiatives than ever before. Let us seize this moment. Let us
respond to global diversity by affirming our strong bilateral
unity.

The writer is Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands and President of the Council of Ministers of the
European Union, on the occasion of his bilateral visit to
Indonesia, Aug. 25-27 .