PARLEMENTARIA, Jakarta - The 2nd Meeting of the Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership (IPPP) has just concluded. The meeting agenda between the Indonesian House of Representatives and its Pacific counterparts has produced a chair's summary that promotes regional connectivity and inclusive development between Indonesia and Pacific countries.

Vice Chairperson of the House Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation (BKSAP) Putu Supadma Rudana said that following the conclusion of the IPPP, the Indonesian House encourages the government to open Consulates General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in each IPPP member country. As a point of consideration, so far, out of the 16 countries in the Pacific Islands, Indonesia only has three consulates general in New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.

"The House has done its part and now the ball is in the government's court because it’s the government who has the capacity to carry out the implementation"

The presence of Indonesian consulates general in Pacific countries, said Putu, will be a positive signal towards promoting friendly relations that has been established between Indonesia and Pacific countries. "This is to convince them to provide support for our sovereignty. Our hope is that they will support us in international forums, and also for us to give mutual support economically and improve people-to-people contacts," said Putu to Parlementaria after speaking as a resource person for a Parliament TV program Dialektika Demokrasi, which was themed Observing the Outcomes of the 2nd Meeting of IPPP, at the Nusantara I Tower, Jakarta, Thursday (1/8/2024).

The initiative, according to Putu, is the next step towards realizing the outcomes of the IPPP. The Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership has played its role in fostering good relations between Indonesia and its Pacific counterparts. And now it is the government’s turn -- as the executive stakeholders of our foreign policy – to carry forward the existing cooperation that has been built with these nations.

"Well, what we want to push forward is our collective political will, as well as the political commitment of our government. The House has done its part and now the ball is in the government's court because it’s the government who has the capacity to carry out the implementation," he concluded. (bia/rdn/agl/nov/fab)