FOREIGN MINISTER OUTLINES PRIORITIES, INCLUDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000206 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, SCA/AF NSC FOR J.BADER AND D.WALTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2020 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS ID XE AF SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER OUTLINES PRIORITIES, INCLUDING DEEPENED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a speech on February 16, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa outlined a range of priorities based on the "democratization of Indonesia's foreign policy." In addition to promoting international peace and security, Indonesian diplomacy would focus on supporting economic development. Natalegawa explained that Jakarta would continue to use soft power to advance its interests and sought to turn emerging challenges like climate change into opportunities for global leadership. He said that Indonesia wanted a greater international role but remained grounded in Southeast Asia. Regarding United States-Indonesia relations Natalegawa said that "the best is yet to come," and that President Obama's visit would give the relationship greater momentum. However, Natalegawa's speech lacked specifics on U.S.-Indonesia ties, and the GOI appears concerned with managing expectations in advance of the visit. END SUMMARY. THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF FOREIGN POLICY ¶2. (SBU) Indonesia's foreign policy must support the country's development priorities and provide benefits to ordinary Indonesians, FM Natalegawa explained during a February 16 speech before an audience of journalists and diplomats at the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents' Club. Natalegawa said this sensitivity to popular concerns had created three key priorities for Indonesian foreign policy during President Yudhoyono's second term: -- Prosperity: Indonesian diplomats must enhance their efforts to promote prosperity by encouraging foreign investment, tourism, opportunities for Indonesian workers, and the export of Indonesian products. -- Justice: Indonesian diplomats would strengthen their focus on consular work, particularly protecting the rights of Indonesian migrant workers. -- Democracy: As a consequence of the country's democratic reforms, Indonesians expected their diplomats to promote democracy abroad. The Bali Democracy Forum was one example of how the GOI was pursuing this goal. However, that Indonesian democracy promotion efforts would be "quiet and modest." ¶3. (SBU) The democratization of foreign policy extended to process as well as substance, Natalegawa said. GOI policy makers must engage a greater range of stakeholders on foreign policy issues, including the legislature, non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups. In a nod to his audience, Natalegawa pledged greater transparency and openness to the media. These efforts, he explained, were critical for explaining GOI foreign policy to the public and for building support for the administration's approach. PROMOTING PEACE AND SECURITY ¶4. (SBU) Indonesia would seek to play a greater role promoting international peace and security, Natalegawa explained, as he outlined several examples. President Yudhoyono wants Indonesia to make a positive contribution in Afghanistan although Natalegawa cautioned that such a contribution would be modest. While he did not announce any specific initiatives, Natalegawa said that Indonesia would listen to Afghan needs and do what it could. He noted the importance of helping the Afghan government ensure security and said that Indonesia could help facilitate reconciliation between the GOA and elements of the Taliban. ¶5. (SBU) Under the rubric of "more statecraft and less stagecraft" Natalegawa outlined a range of other areas of Indonesian priorities on the peace and security front. Indonesia remained committed to providing capacity building assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in order to prepare the PA for eventual statehood. Indonesian diplomats sought to play a low-key role in helping solve regional conflicts, including the insurgencies in southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. Indonesia also wanted to help resolve the ongoing border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. CONTINUED USE OF SOFT POWER ¶6. (SBU) FM Natalegawa said the Yudhoyono administration JAKARTA 00000206 002 OF 003 planned to continue using soft power to promote Indonesia's interests. He pointed to the many interfaith dialogues that Indonesia has organized together with international partners, including the United States. Indonesia saw itself as a bridge between civilizations linking the Muslim world with the West by demonstrating the compatibility of Islam, democracy and modernity. This approach would, Natalegawa explained, help Indonesia realize President Yudhoyono's goal of "a thousand friends and zero enemies." TACKLING EMERGING PROBLEMS ¶7. (SBU) Indonesian policymakers are also increasingly focused on emerging threats that transcend national borders. Natalegawa cited food, water and energy security, climate change and emerging diseases as examples of such challenges. Indonesia sought to turn these challenges into opportunities. Natalegawa said that Indonesian efforts had put deforestation on the international climate change agenda. With its vast forest reserves, Indonesia now had an opportunity to influence the global discussion on this issue. SEEKING GREATER REGIONAL AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ¶8. (SBU) Turning to Indonesia's regional role, Natalegawa said that ASEAN remained central to Indonesian foreign policy. Jakarta remained committed to strengthening ASEAN in the political/security, economic, and socio-cultural realms. The challenge for ASEAN members now was to find ways to use the institutions that the regional organization had built. While Indonesia wanted to lead ASEAN on issues like democracy and human rights, Natalegawa cautioned that other member states must be willing to follow. This dynamic was especially notable in dealing with Burma. While Indonesia sought to promote reform there, it had to tread carefully in order not to alienate other ASEAN member states. ¶9. (SBU) Natalegawa cast a somewhat skeptical eye toward discussions of Asian regional architecture. He said that Indonesia continued to study recent Australian and Japanese proposals for new regional structures. However, Natalegawa cautioned against putting too much faith in any one arrangement. An Asian community was "inevitable," he explained, but it was premature to determine exactly what form such a community would take. ¶10. (SBU) Natalegawa explained that Indonesia would look to go beyond ASEAN and wanted to play a leading role in other international fora, particularly the G20, United Nations and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Within the G20 context, Indonesia would try to serve as a bridge between developed and developing countries as well as between the West and the Muslim world. He also said that Indonesia was closely following the process of UN reform and would consider pressing for membership in a reformed Security Council. THE BEST IS YET TO COME WITH THE UNITED STATES ¶11. (SBU) In response to a question about President Obama's upcoming visit, FM Natalegawa said that "the best is yet to come" in U.S.-Indonesia relations. He explained that Indonesia's democratic reforms allowed for a deeper relationship than was possible under Jakarta's past authoritarian governments. The United States and Indonesia had gotten past the point where differences over a single issue could paralyze the entire relationship. Given this progress, Natalegawa noted, both governments had to modernize the bilateral relationship and give it more momentum. President Obama's visit would, he explained, provide such momentum. ¶11. (C) While he struck a largely positive tone on U.S.-Indonesia relations, FM Natalegawa's speech included few specifics. He acknowledged the importance of the Comprehensive Partnership but did not mention any specific bilateral policy initiatives. Natalegawa struck a more positive tone on regional issues. He praised United States-Indonesia cooperation promoting democracy in Southeast Asia and chided those who said that the United States did not play enough of a role in the region. As reflected in Natalegawa's speech, the GOI appears to be setting the stage for a successful presidential visit by managing expectations. As the Minister noted, U.S.-Indonesian relations are starting from a relatively low level and have nowhere to go JAKARTA 00000206 003 OF 003 but up. HUME