Multitude of S'pore-Indonesia projects only possible due to 'enduring friendship': PM Wong

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto reiterated the two countries' excellent relationship and strong ties as part of Prabowo's first state visit to Singapore since he became President in October 2024.

Prabowo was greeted on the tarmac upon landing by PM Wong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on the evening of Jun. 15.

On Jun. 16, he was officially met by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at Parliament House, where he was also presented with a specially bred orchid.

Prabowo requested that the orchid should be named after his mother, to show his appreciation for her raising a "difficult child".

The pair will go on to conduct the 8th Singapore-Indonesia Leader's retreat.

Four-eyes

The pair held a "four-eye meeting" before speaking to the media at a joint press conference.

PM Wong began by saying he was "delighted" to welcome Prabowo to Singapore, referencing the numerous times Prabowo had visited and thus his familiarity with the country.

He emphasised that Singapore only held Leaders' Retreats with its two closest neighbours, Indonesia and Malaysia, reflecting the "comfort and trust" between them at the highest levels and the "shared commitment" to working together.

He spoke about the Expanded Framework Agreement, first signed by former PM Lee Hsien Loong and former President Joko Widodo in 2022, which entered into force in 2024, which PM Wong said "served as the foundation for our collaboration in defence, airspace management, and law enforcement".

PM Wong noted the progress made regarding the agreement, whether it was the Singapore and Indonesia's defence ministers signing a Joint Update on Defence or the successful implementation of the Flight Information Region (FIR) Agreement.

On the FIR agreement, PM Wong said that Indonesian flight control personnel had been stationed in Singapore and are "working smoothly" with Civil Aviation Authority Singapore staff to "ensure safe and efficient air traffic management".

The first extradition case was also now before Singaporean courts, something that was only possible due to the "close collaboration" between Singapore and Indonesia's legal and law enforcement agencies.

Archipelago vulnerabilities and opportunities

PM Wong said both countries were looking for ways to enhance bilateral collaboration, such as in the Green Economy.

PM Wong said that climate change would have an "outsized impact on small island and archipelagic states" like Singapore and Indonesia, but it was possible to turn "vulnerabilities into opportunities".

@mothershipsg At the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat on Jun. 16, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke about the three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between Singapore and Indonesia that were signed on Jun. 13. The MOUs were on cross-border electricity trade, carbon capture and storage, and a sustainable industrial zone. #singapore #sgtiktok #sgfyp ♬ original sound - Mothership

Singapore and Indonesia's energy ministers had signed three Memoranda of Understanding on Cross-Border Electricity Trade, Carbon Capture and Storage, and the Sustainable Industrial Zone.

PM Wong said that Singapore and Indonesia working together could create opportunities for growth while achieving their green and sustainability goals.

"We can help ourselves, help each other, and help the world."

Enduring friendship

Such cooperation on the green economy reinforced "robust and multifaceted economic ties and was reflected in Singapore being Indonesia's "top source of foreign investment for more than a decade".

It could also be seen in the renewal of the Bilateral Financial Agreement between the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Bank Indonesia for three years in 2024, whereas in previous years, the agreement had been extended annually.

The longer extension showed both countries' "commitment to preserving monetary and financial stability amidst global economic uncertainty".

The many projects that Indonesia and Singapore had undertaken were only possible because of the "enduring friendship between our countries", PM Wong said.

Copy with Pride

Prabowo spoke about his admiration and relationship with Singapore, noting that he had spent a portion of his early years in Singapore just after independence.

He spoke warmly about Singapore's achievements since independence, saying that he had always admired the success of Singapore's early leaders.

Prabowo quipped that while it was considered inappropriate to copy other's school work, it was perhaps permissible to "copy with pride" when it came to Singapore's policy successes and that he hoped such ideas were not subject to "copyright".

He noted Singapore's achievements in public housing, its sovereign wealth fund, and its orchid diplomacy.

He looked forward to welcoming PM Wong and his delegation to the 2025 Indonesia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat, to be held in Indonesia in the following year.

Top image via Sean Koh/Ministry of Digital Development and Information