MINSK, 19 August (BelTA) – Belarus and Indonesia are interested in intensifying their inter-parliamentary dialogue, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vadim Ipatov said as he met with an Indonesian parliamentary delegation led by Isfhan Taufik Munggaran, Chairman of the bilateral cooperation group between the People’s Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, in Minsk on 19 August, BelTA has learned.
According to Vadim Ipatov, Indonesia is Belarus’ strategic foreign policy partner. “Over more than thirty years of diplomatic relations, our countries have managed to build a solid foundation for bilateral ties. Belarus, like Indonesia, is committed to the ideas of peace, security, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states; these ideas are aligned with the well-known Bandung principles,” said Vadim Ipatov.
“We are interested in closer cooperation within international organizations, in the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and especially in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly – an organization where the Republic of Indonesia is a founding member. This is a good opportunity to promote joint initiatives and provide mutual support. Overall, our country seeks to strengthen its partnership with ASEAN. To this end, in 2020, Belarus applied to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). We hope for Indonesia’s support of our initiative. In turn, we welcome the soonest possible conclusion of a free trade agreement between the EAEU and Indonesia. Within the framework of Belarus’ chairmanship of the Eurasian Economic Union in 2025, we see the strengthening of EAEU-ASEAN ties as one of the key areas of activity,” Vadim Ipatov said.
At present, relations between the two countries are maintained through two key mechanisms: the Belarus-Indonesia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Technical Cooperation and political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs, the deputy speaker emphasized.
“These platforms allow us to systematize cooperation across virtually all domains. The visit of the parliamentary friendship group is an excellent opportunity to continue the strategic dialogue between our countries, which gained dynamic momentum following Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's visit to Minsk in July and the subsequent visit of Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov to Indonesia in early August this year."
“The legislative bodies also play a crucial role in the comprehensive strengthening of interstate relations. Today’s meeting is a testament to this. Since 2013, Memorandum on Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation has been in effect between the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and the People's Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia. It was signed during the visit to Belarus of Chairman of the People's Representative Council Dr. Marzuki Alie. I extend my best wishes to the current Speaker of the People's Representative Council Madam Puan Maharani. We would be pleased to host her on a visit to the Republic of Belarus at any convenient time,” Vadim Ipatov added. "I am confident that through our joint efforts, we can further enrich the parliamentary dimension of Belarusian-Indonesian relations, which aligns with the interests of our nations and peoples."
At the invitation of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, an Indonesian parliamentary delegation led by Isfhan Taufik Munggaran, Chairman of the bilateral cooperation group between the People’s Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, is visiting Belarus on 18-22August. The visit envisages a joint meeting between the working group of the National Assembly of Belarus on cooperation with the Parliament of Indonesia and the bilateral cooperation group of Indonesia’s People’s Representative Council with Belarus’ National Assembly. The agenda includes discussions on a wide range of issues concerning inter-parliamentary relations, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation, and also an exchange of legislative experience.
The working group on cooperation with Indonesia’s Parliament was established in May 2024. The group is headed by Irina Kostevich, Chairperson of the House of Representatives’ Standing Commission on Labor and Social Affairs.
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