TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, said that Indonesia's diplomatic stance in 2014 will continue to prioritize on maintaining regional peace, security, and welfare. Marty estimated that there are three diplomatic challenges that will be faced by Indonesia next year.
"Those three challenges, if managed properly, can become opportunities to create peace, security, and welfare in the region," Marty said in Jakarta last weekend.
According to Marty, the first challenge is the decreasing trust among in Asia-Pacific countries. He said this particular challenge is quite peculiar because on one hand, each country's interdependence in economy, trade, investment, and individual relations continue to grow, while on the other hand, distrust between countries is also growing.
The second challenge, as the Minister explained, is territorial dispute such as the one occurring in the South and East China Sea. Such dispute, accompanied by increasing distrust, may reuslted in an open conflict. Marty added that even the smallest incidents could develop into a catasthrope if one or both sides provide improper responses.
"We remember, the World War I started because of one small problem, and then it developed to a bigger problem," Marty said.
Meanwhile, the third challenge would be how to manage change. Minister Marty stated that the Asia Pacific region is teemed with signs of changes in geopolitics and geo-economy, which has to be managed properly to prevent events such as the cold war.
In order to face these abovementioned challenges, Indonesia offered to create cooperation and friendship treaty in the Asia-Pacific region that focuses on security, stability, and commonweal approaches. The treaty will be similar with the cooperation and friendship treaty established in ASEAN.
NATALIA SANTI
