“President Joko Widodo visited both Kyiv and Moscow to convey concerns about the devastating impacts of the war and the disruption of shipping on world food security, particularly for developing countries,” said Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a professor at the Research Center for Politics, part of the National Research and Innovation Agency, an Indonesian government agency. “Indonesia continues to call for the end of the war.”
The Indonesian government is not just enlightened in its efforts to promote a peaceful end to the conflict. It is pragmatic, recognizing that the war is contributing toward a slowdown in the Indonesian economy, especially through the disruption of global supply chains. Food and fertilizer supplies have been particularly hard-hit. President Widodo appreciates that the longer the conflict drags on, the worse its effects not just on developing economies but on the global economy as a whole.
Indonesia offers many opportunities for investment and renewed bilateral trade with Ukraine
Radityo Dharmaputra, a lecturer in the international relations department of Airlangga University in Indonesia, said that this is the moment to take a diplomatic lead in line with the UN vote.
“Indonesia should be organizing a joint position, together with the other, so-called middle powers and remaining members of the G20 like Mexico and Brazil, offering up a peace platform, asking Russia to stop the aggression and organizing peace talks once Russia stops,” he said. “This is the task of the middle powers now, and Indonesia can be one of the initiators.”
Bilateral opportunities: Trade between Indonesia and Ukraine totaled $1.24 billion before Russia invaded Ukraine. It’s fallen by 93% since then.
