Top Dutch diplomat gets RI honor
Top Dutch diplomat gets RI honor
JAKARTA (JP): Former Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Jan Herman
Robert Dudley van Roijen, received on Wednesday the Jasa Utama
Star from the Indonesian government in recognition of his
meritorious services during his term in Jakarta from 1992 to
1994.
The award was presented on behalf of President Soeharto by
Indonesia's ambassador to the Netherlands, Soedarmanto
Kadarisman, at his office in The Hague, on Wednesday night,
Antara reported yesterday.
Soedarmanto said at the ceremony that Van Roijen's
ambassadorship helped put relations between Indonesia and the
Netherlands on a new, "more natural" footing, following a brief
row in 1992.
Relations between the two countries were shaken in that year
when Indonesia decided to reject further offers of Dutch
financial assistance, citing The Hague's continuous interference
in its domestic affairs as the main reason.
Kadarisman said bilateral relations were restored quickly
afterwards, thanks to the hard work of various people to rebuild
the ties based on mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and
more mutually beneficial cooperation.
"Van Roijen is regarded by the Indonesian government as one of
those individuals who played an important role in starting a new
era in Indonesia-Netherlands relations," he said.
He added that the planned visit by Queen Beatrix to Indonesia
next month is the culmination of the improving relations.
Van Roijen served twice in the Dutch embassy in Jakarta. His
first was from 1965 to 1967 as third secretary.
The ambassador is the son of Dr. Van Roijen, the Dutch chief
negotiator in the roundtable talks with Indonesian republican
leaders in 1949 that ended a four-year bloody war between the two
countries that was started when the Dutch tried to reimpose its
colonial rule after the World War II.
The award presentation ceremony was attended by a number of
Dutch top officials, including Piet Bukman, a former cabinet
minister who now serves in the Dutch lower House. Dutch
parliamentary speaker Hd. Tjeenk Willink also attended the
reception, Antara reported. (emb)