PM Lawrence Wong and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta on Nov 6. THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN Photo

JAKARTA — Singapore and Indonesia will be writing a new chapter in their bilateral ties by collaborating on new opportunities, said Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday.

PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, noted how while he and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are leaders who are starting out in their new roles, they both benefit from the work of their predecessors.

“As new leaders now, both of us are able to write a new chapter in our bilateral ties and take the relationship to even greater heights,” he said.

He was speaking at a joint press conference with Prabowo at the presidential palace in Jakarta.

PM Wong was sworn in as Prime Minister of Singapore on May 15, taking over from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, while Rabowo was inaugurated as Indonesia’s President on October 20.

In his remarks, Prabowo reaffirmed the close ties between the two countries. He said that PM Wong’s visit is very meaningful because it is the first official visit by a foreign leader since his inauguration.

“Singapore is one of the closest neighbours and a very important partner for Indonesia. We have good cooperation bilaterally, and also within the ASEAN framework,” said Prabowo.

This trip is the fourth time in 2024 that PM Wong and Prabowo are meeting. The pair last met during Prabowo’s inauguration.

PM Wong is on a two-day visit to Indonesia and arrived in Jakarta on November 5. He was welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid, and Indonesia’s Ambassador to Singapore Suryo­ Pratomo.

PM Wong and Prabowo had also met during the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat hosted by then Indonesian President Joko Widodo in April, and again in June, when Prabowo was in Singapore to deliver a special address at the 21st edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

At the press conference, PM Wong said both leaders discussed new opportunities for collaboration in the coming years. This includes areas like defence, digital technologies, healthcare and trade.

In 2023, Singapore recorded US$15.4 billion of foreign direct investment in the archipelago, and bilateral trade reached US$69 billion that year.

Both countries are also among each other’s top sources of visitor arrivals. Singapore welcomed 2.3 million tourists from Indonesia in 2023, while Indonesia saw 1.4 million tourists from Singapore that year.

PM Wong said that during their meeting, the two leaders also discussed collaborating in areas aligned to Indonesia’s priorities.

These include food security, and he said talks are ongoing about how both sides can exchange best practices and share technologies to mutually benefit from cooperation in the agriculture and food sectors.

Speaking to Singapore media in the evening, PM Wong said both sides will work towards a better mutual understanding of food standards.

He also acknowledged how Indonesia wants to enhance and strengthen its own food security and food production, saying both sides can work together on this.

“If there are ways in which we can be helpful, largely through technology and through some of the experiences we have, limited though it may be because ours is a very different context... we will be happy to share and work together,” he said.

Another important area is energy security, PM Wong added, saying that the two leaders had good discussions on issues like clean energy and sustainability.

“This can be a new growth engine for both our countries, especially when we realise cross-border energy exports, as well as cross-border carbon capture and storage projects in the coming years,” he said.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, the leaders also discussed regional and international issues.

Prabowo expressed deep concern over the situation in the Middle East. He also stressed the importance of continuing to call for an immediate cessation of violence in the Middle East, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and the achievement of a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel based on international law.

Myanmar was also discussed, and Prabowo said that both he and PM Wong agreed to ensure the implementation of peace plans established with ASEAN to end the ongoing conflict.

Prabowo said: “We share the same view on the importance of maintaining regional and international peace and security amidst the increasingly complex geopolitical situation.”

Touching on this point, PM Wong said that both countries are entering a more troubling era in global affairs. There will be more geopolitical tensions to manage, he warned, but both Singapore and Indonesia share many common strategic perspectives.

“We both want to be friends to all. We both want to be good neighbours. We both want to be able to have close ties with America as well as China,” he said.

“And we will both exercise active and independent foreign policies towards that effect, in order to achieve mutual benefit, mutual interest, and, importantly, peace, stability and prosperity for ourselves and for South-east Asia.”

When asked by Singapore media about Indonesia’s decision to join BRICS as a partner nation and its readiness for full membership, PM Wong said Singapore has an open mind as far as the bloc is concerned.

Whether it is BRICS or any other organisation, Singapore will look and see if it can make a contribution to such groups, and if it is in its national interest to join. Such national interests would include strengthening multilateralism and the rule of law, as well as advancing trade and investments.

“If Indonesia feels it is in its interest to join Brics, so be it. We keep an open mind as far as Brics is concerned,” said PM Wong. — THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN