September 9, 2022
JAKARTA – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has concluded a brief trip to the South Pacific this week, where she reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to the region through bilateral initiatives and a more “holistic” Indo-Pacific strategy ahead of a whirlwind of United Nations meetings later this month.
After a two-year hiatus of diplomatic visits to the region, the minister headed to Fiji and the Solomon Islands where she sought to forge closer ties with Pacific island nations ahead of a forum Jakarta is hosting later this year. Indonesia is expected to host the Indo-Pacific Forum for Development in Bali this December, after it hands over the presidency of the Group of 20 largest economies to India.
In a prerecorded statement circulated on Wednesday, Retno reported the highlights of her visit, which was “tremendously important and strategic” for advancing Indonesia’s “priority agenda” in the region.