Outgoing President Joko Widodo’s absence from a recent Asean summit reinforces the “stagnation” of Indonesia’s foreign policy during his tenure, analysts say – raising questions about the commitment of his successor, Prabowo Subianto, towards the bloc.
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Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin represented Indonesia at the summit in Vientiane, Laos, with Widodo’s office attributing his non-attendance to preparations for the presidential handover set for this Sunday.
His absence was “a foreign policy blunder”, according to an editorial in the The Jakarta Post, the nation’s leading English-language newspaper.
“Jokowi’s absence undermines Indonesia’s claim that Asean is the cornerstone of its foreign policy, a mantra our diplomats never tire of reciting,” it said, referring to Widodo by his popular nickname.
“If Asean is that important to Indonesia, the president should be on the front line to prove it.”
The summit offered Widodo a final chance to engage with regional and global leaders, including representatives from the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea.