CONTINUITY is expected to be key in bilateral relations between Indonesia and Singapore as well as on the regional economic integration front, said Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

While Indonesian president-elect and Minister of Defence Prabowo Subianto’s focus lies on uplifting opportunities within Indonesia, Dr Balakrishnan said: “I sensed he also understands Indonesia’s importance to Asean and the greater prospects for all of Asean – the more we integrate, the more we double down on cooperation, the more we facilitate investments into productive sectors, the more we do in the green economy, the more we achieve on the digital front.”

The Singapore minister was speaking to Singapore media in a doorstop interview on Friday (Apr 26), as he wrapped up a four-day working visit to Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, that began on Tuesday.

Dr Balakrishnan met Prabowo, who in March officially won Indonesia’s Feb 14 presidential election after securing roughly 58.6 per cent of the total count, or more than 96 million votes.

He said: “We are exploring connecting our tech ecosystems, startup companies or even bigger, medium-sized digital companies to exchange and expand ideas, talent, concepts and business models.”

Singapore stands as Indonesia’s top foreign investor, with US$15.4 billion worth of investments in 2023 – more than double that of China’s, in second place with US$7.4 billion.

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Dr Balakrishnan noted that bilateral relations between both South-east Asian nations have reached “new heights”, and that the seventh Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat will be a celebration of achievements in the past decade.

This year’s retreat in the Indonesian city Bogor will be hosted by outgoing president Joko Widodo, whom Dr Balakrishnan – hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi – called on during his visit.

The Singapore minister also caught up with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno, as well as Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.

Dr Balakrishnan also called on former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Soekarnoputri. 

Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and an increasingly uncertain world, Dr Balakrishnan said: “It’s all the more important to double down on our relationships with our immediate neighbours and within Asean, and specifically in the case of Indonesia, as the largest country within Asean – a large economy increasingly becoming more sophisticated and with great prospects for growth.”

The week before this visit, the Singapore minister was in the Philippines on a separate four-day trip to commemorate 55 years of diplomatic relations.