" Needless to say that Indonesia already had a close cooperation with these countries, especially multilaterally. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the 21 countries will bring the number of UN member countries with diplomatic relations with Indonesia to 192, with the exception of Israel," the foreign minister said in his annual press statement at his office here Friday.
While not mentioning the names of the 21 countries, he pointed out that consolidation and bilateral relations with many of these countries became a priority of Indonesia`s foreign policy for 2011.
On the occasion he also said that in 2010 Indonesia opened 10 Indonesian representative offices in some countries and one Indonesian permanent representative for ASEAN in Jakarta.
The 11 representative offices are the Indonesian embassy in Baku (Azerbaijan), Manama (Bahrain), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Quito (Equador), Astana (Kazakhstan), Zagreb (Kroatia), Muskat (Oman), Panama City (Panama), Maputo (Mozambique), Tawau (Malaysia), and the ASEAN permanent representative office in Jakarta.
With the additional 11 representative offices, Indonesia now has 130 such offices overseas, he added.
The foreign ministry, he said, will start implementing a foreign policy in 2011 identifying new opportunities, to overcome challenges and creating opportunities.
"Diplomacy will promote principal approaches, visionary but pragmatic, for a contribution to defending national interests, Indonesian security and welfare," he said.
Therefore, he added, in 2011 the foreign ministry will consolidate and deepen bilateral relations with various countries, with the main focus on efforts of increasing relations between the people and sharpen economic diplomacy.
Present when the foreign minister was making his annual press statement were Dr. Alwi Shibab (foreign minister 1999-2001), Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda (2001-2009), Joop Ave (Tourim, post and telecommunications minister 1993-1998), Agus Gumiwang (deputy chairman of the House Commission I) and Sidharto Danusubroto ( deputy chairman of the House`s BKSAP) and at least 340 invitees from the media, diplomatic corps, academicians, government institutions including from the foreign ministry.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
