Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa closed a week-long meeting of ambassadors on Tuesday, saying that Jakarta should boost its role in ASEAN for national economic benefits ahead of its chairmanship of the group in 2013.

“Our role in and contribution to ASEAN should not only be maintained but enhanced for the economic interest of Indonesia… We have to ensure Indonesian people can reap the benefits of ASEAN to increase their welfare,” he said.

The 10-member group is the cornerstone of Jakarta’s foreign policy and the 42-year old bloc combines a population of around half a billion. Indonesia, the largest nation by population and GDP in the Southeast Asian region, will take over as rolling chairman in 2013 from Cambodia.

The ambassadors’ meeting gathered around 200 Indonesian diplomats from 119 embassies and consulate generals around the world. The meeting is held at the start and at the end of every Cabinet term with an aim to familiarize envoys on Jakarta’s new mission under new administrations.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono instructed envoys to attract investors to support the target of economic growth of 7 percent by 2014 and to also find new markets for its products after a downturn in exports due to the global crisis first felt by the US, one of Jakarta’s main export destinations.

Observers have said that Yudhoyono needed to kickstart his plummeting popularity by fulfilling campaign promises, including economic growth of 7 percent and decreasing the unemployment rate that stands at 10 million.

Marty said Jakarta had to translate political closeness with friendly partners into economic cooperation that would benefit people on both sides.

“The economic and global financial crisis teaches us a valuable lesson of not depending only on traditional markets,” he said.

Indonesia exports most of its products to the US, Japan and Singapore but Jakarta has also looked into possibilities of expanding into the Middle East and Africa.

Marty said Jakarta would also secure its political interests in the East Asia and Pacific regions through the new regional architecture initiatives floated by Japan and Australia.

Japan and Australia have sought Indonesian support for their plans to set up an East Asian Community and Asia Pacific Community respectively.

“Indonesia will not stay passive during the formation of new regional architectures in East Asia and the Pacific, but will play an active role to ensure that the new order agrees with our national interest,” he said.

Marty also instructed envoys to increase the protection of migrant workers and Indonesian nationals abroad, which has become a key point of his 100-day program under the new Cabinet.
Jakarta brought home around 2,000 of its illegal migrant workers last year.

“Indonesian nationals have to feel at home when they are at our representative offices,” he said.

Source : The Jakarta Post