The principles :

The principles underlying Indonesia's foreign policy were expounded for the first time by Mohammad more...

The primary objectives :

Any country's foreign policy is a reflection of its national aspirations vis-a-vis the rest of the world. It more...

Outlines :

The pursuit of the above objectives, Resolution No. II/MPR/1993 of the People's Consultative Assembly outlines Indonesia's foreign relations as follows: Foreign relations shall be conducted on the basis of an independent and active foreign policy and dedicated to the national interest, especially to supporting national development in all spheres of life, and for the purpose of establishing a world order based on freedom, lasting peace and social justice. International relations should aim to strengthen international and regional friendly relations and cooperation through various multilateral and regional channels, in accordance with the national interest and potentials. In this regard, the positive image of Indonesia abroad should be enhanced such as by way of cultural activities. Indonesia's role in settling international problems, particularly those threatening peace and contrary to justice and humanity, shall be continued and intensified in the spirit of the Ten Principles of Bandung. Any international development and change shall be watched carefully in order that appropriate steps can be promptly taken to protect national stability and development from any possible negative impact. At the same time, international developments that provide opportunities to assist and speed up national development should be seized and fully exploited. Indonesia's international role in promoting and strengthening friendly relations and mutually-beneficial cooperation among nations should be intensified. The country's effort to achieve national targets, such as the realization of the Archipelagic Principle and expansion of its export markets, should be continued.

In order to help in the establishment of a New World Order, based on freedom, lasting peace and social justice, greater efforts should be made to strengthen solidarity and develop a common stand and cooperation among developing nations through various international organization, such as the United Nations, ASEAN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Islamic Conference Organization, etc. For the specific objective of building a new world economic order steps should be continued with other developing nations, to speed up the realization of an international agreement on commodities, to remove trade barriers and restrictions imposed by industrial countries on the exports of developing countries, and to broaden economic and technical cooperation among developing countries. Efforts to establish a new information and communication order should also be continued.

In the 1980s and 1990s Indonesia played a more active role in international affairs than it had in the past. Indonesia was a founding member of the Nonaligned Movement (NAM), a loose association begun in 1961 of countries that were not specifically allied with the power blocs led by either the United States or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Indonesia was also, in 1967, a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which plays a central role in the country’s foreign policy. Indonesia is a member of the United Nations (UN) and several of its agencies, including the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Asian Development Bank. It is also one of the founding members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which was established in 1989.

Cooperation among the public and private sector of ASEAN member-countries should be intensified with a special emphasis on economic, social and cultural cooperation. This, in turn, would reinforce the national resilience of each member-country and the regional resilience of ASEAN, thus enhancing the common endeavor to build a Southeast Asian Zone of peace, freedom, neutrality and prosperity. Furthermore, greater cooperation should be fostered among the countries of the Southeast Asian and the Southwest Pacific regions.