FM extends greetings to new Indonesian counterpart

Indonesia has strengthened its bilateral ties with the Kingdom through a phone call between the foreign ministers of the two Southeast Asian neighbours on Wednesday. Sok Chenda Sophea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, conveyed warm greetings to his newly appointed Indonesian counterpart, Sugiono.

Following the October 20 inauguration of the new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Sugiono assumed office on Monday. The telephone exchange between the foreign ministers addressed a wide range of pressing issues, including politics, economics, and security. Emphasising the longstanding ties between the two nations, Sugiono spoke passionately about the strong friendship shared by both sides.

He expressed deep appreciation for the warm welcome extended to Prabowo in Cambodia last month.

The historic ties between the two countries were re-emphasised with collaborations in a variety of sectors. Sophea offered an invitation to Sugiono to visit Cambodia in the near future.

The new Indonesian Foreign Minister has a solid background in the military due to a childhood ambition of growing up to become a military officer. This lifelong passion involved a number of stints in assorted military schools and programmes, culminating in an appointment as a bonafide army officer.

Prior to his induction into the founding council of the Gerindra Party, Sugiono served as the personal secretary to Prabowo. His political career took off in 2019 as a member of the House of Representatives.

Speaking about the positive relations between the two countries in a variety of diverse sectors, Thong Mengdavid, geopolitical analyst and lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy (IISPP) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), said, “As Cambodia is one of the democratic countries in today’s world, Indonesia has been building stronger cultural relations.”

“Indonesia supports Cambodia in the economic, social and particularly military sectors. Indonesia has been providing military scholarships to Cambodians to study in Indonesia. Trade ties between us are also strong,” he added. The halal food industry merited special mention by the academic who urged Indonesia to offer more training to Cambodians in this field.

Calling for stronger bonds in economic and military relations, Chheng Kimlong, President of Asian Vision Institute (AVI), explained that Indonesia is nearing the apex of economic powers.

He called for increasing direct flights between the two countries.

“Both countries should strengthen economic cooperation because the economy of Indonesia is estimated to be among the top economic powers by 2030. Both countries should strengthen economic, trade and investment ties. Both sides should promote direct flights for boosting tourism and creating convenience for investors and travellers,” he said.
Cr: KhmerTime