"It’s time for us to become leaders in the Global South," the ambassador said at the "National Seminar on Politics and International Relations" held by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Wahid Hasyim University, Semarang, and attended online here on Tuesday (8/26).
He said this suggestion was based on current developments showing that Indonesia’s non-traditional markets, such as Kenya, do not appear to be a priority for President Prabowo Subianto in strengthening bilateral relations.
"Non-traditional markets, I would say as of today, are still not a priority for Mr. Prabowo," he said.
This can be seen from the fact that the Indonesian President has not yet visited any African countries, including Kenya, in the 10 months of his new administration, said the ambassador.
He believes that Africa has a historical relationship with Indonesia, such as the Bandung Spirit, which was born from the Asia-Africa Conference in that city in 1955.
Developing countries in Africa, Saripudin said, view Indonesia as a "lighthouse" and they also look to Indonesia for leadership on the global stage.
"And this is a fact; many Global South countries, African countries, have always hoped that Indonesia could take the lead," he said.
Therefore, the ambassador expressed his hope that President Jokowi’s visit to Kenya in 2023 could be continued by President Prabowo through increased economic cooperation with African countries.
"Bandung Spirit Volume 2 must be heavily driven by the spirit of economic cooperation. Therefore, Africa, as a continent of the future and the continent with the largest Muslim population, also has positive values," he said.
Besides promoting Indonesian leadership in the Global South, Saripudin also promotes Indonesian leadership in multilateral diplomacy among Islamic countries.
"It seems now is the time for Indonesia to nominate its best generation to be Secretary General of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation)," he said.
He believes that potential cooperation can be obtained from OIC member countries to expand the market for Indonesian products.
He also encouraged the opening of a special Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia (PTRI) office for the OIC to enhance such cooperation.
In addition, Hery also highlighted the need for Indonesia to strengthen diplomacy by empowering the diaspora as economic agents.
"Diaspora diplomacy doesn’t just involve protection diplomacy. We must also empower the diaspora as economic agents," he said.
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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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