London (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government congratulated Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his thumping victory in the British election perceived by political analysts as heralding the United Kingdom's smooth exit from the European Union on January 31, 2020.

Indonesian Ambassador to the UK Rizal Sukma informed ANTARA on Saturday that Johnson's victory will bolster bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

Jason Marc, a British political analyst, opined that Johnson’s resounding win on Friday would facilitate the smooth exit of the UK from the European Union on Jan 31 while contending that Johnson would not disappoint his voters in connection with the Brexit issue.

Reuters also claimed Johnson's decisive election victory "will allow him to end three years of political paralysis and take Britain out of the European Union by Jan 31".

He was quoted by Reuters as saying: "We will get Brexit done on time by the 31st of January, no ifs, no buts, no maybes. Leaving the European Union as one United Kingdom, taking back control of our laws, borders, money, our trade, immigration system, delivering on the democratic mandate of the people."

This year, Indonesia and the UK commemorated seven decades of diplomatic relations.

In connection with the Brexit issue, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had also conveyed in June 2016 that both nations' bilateral relations would remain unaffected by the result of the British referendum (Brexit) on leaving the European Union.

In its place, both countries will continue to nurture cooperation in various strategic areas, she stated, adding that the Brexit's direct impact on Indonesian politics would also be very limited.

The Indonesian-British partnership priority and the partnership between Indonesia and the European Union would remain unchanged.

"The impact of a number of agreements between Indonesia and the EU and the UK, such as Britain’s status in the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Indonesia-EU CEPA) and licensed Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) will be connected to the approval of the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU," Marsudi stated.

Britain has become a strategic partner of Indonesia since 2012.

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Translator: Zeynita Gibbons, Rahmad Nasuti
Editor: Sri Haryati
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