Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to Singapore-Indonesian relations at his seventh and final Leaders’ Retreat held on Apr. 29 in Bogor, Indonesia.

Final Retreat

Thanking President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for his warm hospitality, PM Lee said that it was natural that close neighbours and good friends with many common interests should hold such high level retreats annually.

2024's retreat was particularly special, as it was PM Lee’s and Jokowi’s last retreat as leaders.

He thanked Jokowi for making a special effort to host him before the official handover of power on May 15.

PM Lee will be handing over to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on that day.

Commitment to building strong relationships

PM Lee paid tribute to the excellent progress in bilateral cooperation, saying that Singapore and Indonesia shared a commitment to deepening mutual understanding and building strong relationships.

One example he gave was in defence cooperation, saying that the Joint Update on Defence Cooperation, signed earlier that day, reflected robust defence ties.

PM Lee recounted his experiences of working with Indonesia throughout his career, including with the Indonesian military during his time in the military, adding he was glad to see good defence relations continued to this day.

Economic ties and Expanded Framework

Economic ties are another essential pillar of the relationship, with investments between the two exceeding S$74 billion, and increased cooperation in the digital and green economies.

Memorandums of Understanding on Cooperation on Digital Transformation and Community Empowerment in Mangrove Ecosystems, the latter being signed earlier that day, showed the steps that had been taken to closer cooperation.

PM Lee said the two countries are making good progress in facilitating cross-border electricity trading, and that he had suggested to Jokowi that the countries should look at the possibility of carbon credits.

He also noted the Expanded Framework, which resolved long-standing issues on airspace, defence, and extradition.

The Expanded Framework had been first mooted in 2019, and had finally come into effect in March 2024.

“They show that when we work together in a spirit of friendship and openness, we can address even the most complicated issues in a pragmatic and mutually beneficial manner.”

Greater heights

In his conclusion, PM Lee paid tribute to Jokowi, and his contributions to Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Under his leadership, Indonesia is set on a strong economic trajectory, a confident and optimistic participant in both Asean and international affairs, as well as being constructive voice in a divided world.

"When Indonesia prospers, the region prospers," PM Lee said.

PM Lee said he had been honoured to work with Jokowi for the past decade, and that the typical one-on-one meeting that he held with Jokowi during retreat had been held as a four-person meeting, with incoming prime minister Lawrence Wong and president-elect Prabowo Subianto joining the pair.

PM Lee said he was confident that both Wong and Prabowo would continue to bring the Singapore-Indonesia relationship to greater heights.

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Image from PM Lee’s Facebook page/PMO