National Day of Indonesia (Engels)
Speech by the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Maxime Verhagen, at the occasion of the National Day of Indonesia, The Hague, 5 September 2012.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It’s a pleasure to be here to celebrate the 67th anniversary of the proklamasi of the Republic of Indonesia. Congratulations! The past once divided us. The past unites us today. The personal bonds between our two people helped us overcome our divisions, time and again. Today, one in every ten people in the Netherlands has a personal connection with Indonesia, and we use thousands of words that have their origins in Bahasa Indonesia. And in Indonesia, 10 thousand young people study Dutch. What is more, both Indonesia and the Netherlands are determined to intensify the partnership between our two countries.
This is why our two governments have such frequent contacts. As recently as last Friday, I had lunch with Her Excellency Minister Mari Pangestu, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy. Dutch ministers and high officials have been visiting Indonesia on a regular basis. And I hope that Investment Minister Pak Gita Wirjawan will be able to visit the Netherlands later this year.
In my previous capacity of minister of Foreign Affairs, I had the privilege to be the guest of minister Hassan Wirajuda, my Indonesian counterpart at the time, during a week-long visit in 2009. I have excellent memories of our talks and our visit to the Borobudur in Yogyakarta. And we have stayed in touch ever since.
Indonesia is well represented in the Netherlands. In all kinds of ways. We enjoy the famous Pasar Malam fair on the Malieveld in The Hague and boast among the best Indonesian restaurants in the world. And we enjoy the presence of outstanding ambassadors, such as our host tonight.
In these times of uncertainty, Indonesia can teach Europe a lesson of hope. It shows there is life after austerity. Fourteen years ago, Indonesia was in dire straights following the Asian financial crisis. Today, Indonesia’s debt burden has shrunk from 150 percent of GDP in 2007 to less then 25 percent of GDP in 2011, among the lowest in the ASEAN region. That is making most European countries jealous these days.
And the Indonesian economy is showing impressive growth figures, with an average GDP growth of over 6 percent a year, for years on row. So it is no wonder that Indonesia is an important foreign market for companies such as Unilever and FrieslandCampina. And it’s no wonder that many other companies have followed in their footsteps. This is how we became Indonesia’s fourth largest foreign investor. On its part, the Netherlands is proud to be Indonesia’s second trade partner within the European Union.
We are also the gateway to Europe, as many Indonesian exports reach their European destination via the port of Rotterdam or the Schiphol international airport. Everything indicates that our relations will be getting even stronger in years to come. Our Embassy in Jakarta has received almost 50 percent more visa request this year, compared to last year. And the Dutch exporters’ association FENEDEX ranks Indonesia third, after China and India, in terms of growth expectations. Half of its members expect to achieve higher sales in Indonesia this year.
INA, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, is making an important contribution to strengthening our trade and investment relations. And so is the recently founded Nederland Indonesia Society, an initiative of former Defence Minister Willem van Eekelen.
The Dutch and Indonesian governments will continue to work together on themes of mutual interest, such as water management. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding on water management in April. And we have been working together since 2009 to protect Jakarta against flooding. We have set up partnerships in other areas as well, from transportation and infrastructure to health and food security.
And let’s not forget democracy and human rights. Indonesia has proved a valuable partner for spreading democratic values and human rights in South-East Asia, in particular in Burma.
No-one better than our host tonight can embody the intimate bonds between Indonesia and the Netherlands.
Your Excellency Retno Marsudi, this is your second posting in The Hague. And you are married to an architect who graduated from the University of Delft. I believe this bodes well for the future of Indonesian-Dutch relations. So let me congratulate you again with your National Day, and let’s raise our glasses to our long-lasting friendship and good relations.
Proost!