Indonesia celebrated in style 70 years of diplomatic relations with Argentina – plus the 81st anniversary of its independence – with a lavish reception in the splendid surroundings of the Teatro Colón’s Salón Dorado on Tuesday.
While Ambassador Sulaiman Syarif centred his speech on trade, he took care to showcase Indonesian culture and gastronomy – the only two gamelans in the country were deployed to accompany the folk dancing while over 400 guests (including several members of Congress, government officials and ambassadorial colleagues) were regaled with such Indonesian delicacies as bami goreng, satay and sambals. Washed down with various drinks including fine wines – this, along with the presence of several of the 60 Indonesian Catholic clergy working in Argentina, to underline that Indonesia might have a Muslim majority, but is not an Islamic Republic like Iran or Pakistan.
Within the framework of a shared commitment to democracy, peace and a rules-based international order, Syarif pointed out that 15 agreements and memoranda of understanding have been concluded between the two G20 nations with a 16th on the way.
Indonesia is Argentina’s fifth trade partner in Asia and Argentina Indonesia’s third in Latin America with a bilateral trade volume of US$1.6 billion last year and already US$1.2 billion in the first seven months of this year. The envoy then asked Argentine companies to view Indonesia – the world’s 16th largest economy – as their main gateway into ASEAN as its biggest member, highlighting that the archipelago nation had recently opened its market of over 280 million people to Argentine beef and dairy produce. Indonesia’s status as the world’s leading nickel producer and Argentine lithium also made them natural strategic partners in the critical metals sector, Syarif added.
Beyond the commercial relationship, the ambassador highlighted the academic agreements between universities and mentioned having explored 14 of Argentina’s 23 provinces, while sporting links included badminton and 1978 World Cup football star Mario Kempes having both played and coached in Indonesia.
The 15-minute speech concluded with thanks to City Hall and the Teatro Colón for facilitating the reception and a “Viva Argentina! Viva Indonesia!” All sentiments echoed by the other speakers – the Foreign Ministry’s Mercosur Undersecretary Roberto Salafía and deputy Antonella Giampieri (PRO-City) chairing the Argentina-Indonesia Parliamentary Friendship Group.
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