If you are a frequent traveler of Jalan Rasuna Said or a loyal follower of our Twitter account, you may have noticed this recent addition to the Embassy’s gate. It has already been four weeks since the start of the unprovoked and unacceptable Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the humanitarian toll continues to grow with every passing day. As much as 10 million Ukrainian people have fled their homes in search of safety. We know that our banner won´t be able to put a halt to the invasion, but it is a way of expressing our solidarity with the Ukranian people and showing Russia that the world is watching.
Whereas the situation is top of mind with most Europeans nowadays, that’s not a given across all continents. Contrary to the constant prominent coverage both in Dutch and international media, there is surprisingly little attention for this conflict in Indonesia’s papers and news. Understandably, it´s quite a stretch from Jakarta to Kiev for most Indonesians, both physically and culturally. And besides rising oil prices, the situation does not seem to really affect many people in the archipelago. Not yet anyways. Because this invasion is already changing the rules of the game in diplomacy, and this will undoubtedly also affect the security dynamics in Asia and the global economic outlook – and so there are plenty of reasons to care. This is not business as usual.
At the same time, there are also still reasons to be cheerful. It’s now safe to say that Indonesia is past the peak of the Omicron wave. After two years of restrictions, international travel is starting up again. Some of you might have already planned reunions with friends or family. Bali was the first to become a convenient option, and we’re hopeful that travel to other parts of the country will soon be equally carefree. Our consular team will keep you updated on the latest developments both via social media and our website.
Emboldened by the improving situation, we are also looking forward to raising the glass to our King’s health during King’s Day at the Erasmushuis next month. It will be a sober celebration though with a limited number of guests, both because of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the fact that this national day coincides with Ramadan. But the glass is half-full: it’s the first time we can gather for this occasion in person again in three years, and we have many more activities in store for you this year. We’ve only just begun.
