German-Indonesian relations

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German-Indonesian relations

Germany	Indonesia

The foreign policy both in Indonesia and in Germany welcome intercontinental relations, made since 1952, seven years after the Indonesian Declaration of Independence , bilateral diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Indonesia . Since then, the areas of cooperation between the two countries have expanded across a wide range of areas in politics, economics, culture and education.

The Republic of Indonesia heads numerous representations in Germany. The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Berlin , two consulates general in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg and two honorary consuls in Stuttgart and Kiel . In the Republic of Indonesia, Germany has an embassy in Jakarta and 3 honorary consuls in Medan , Sanur and Surabaya .

The most important areas of German-Indonesian cooperation are climate protection , sustainable development , promotion of the private sector and good governance.

Origin of relationships

Contact between Germany and Indonesia has existed since the 16th century. At that time, Indonesia was largely a Portuguese colony consisting of several scattered kingdoms. The first books in German appeared as early as 1509, reporting on islands and cities within the Indonesian region. These books were written by the first Germans who found their way through expeditions to what is now Indonesia. Since then there have been several written records of contacts between the then Europe and the then colonial state of Indonesia. The first economic contacts can be traced back to the 19th century. Siemens was already active with its first branch in Surabaya in 1861, and with the establishment of the first German consulate in 1872, the first political rapprochement took place. It was only in 1952 and with the establishment of the embassy in Jakarta and the Indonesian embassy in Bonn a year later that the two countries established their first bilateral diplomatic relations. In 1954 the General Consulate of the GDR was set up in Jakarta, which was converted into an embassy in 1972.

Political Relations

State visit of the former Federal President Heinrich Lübke to Indonesia in 1963

State visit of the then Indonesian President Suharto to Germany in 1970

Former German President Horst Köhler with former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono 2013

The diplomatic relations established between Indonesia and Germany since 1952 have been maintained and developed up to the present day. Interest in exchanges between the two countries is growing steadily. A large number of well-known German politicians such as the former Federal President Christian Wulff , the former Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and the former Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier have successfully sought contact in Indonesia and have made a decisive contribution to the development of relations between the two countries. In 2012, Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Indonesian capital Jakarta and, with the then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, adopted the Jakarta Declaration, which should lay the foundation for long-term, future cooperation between Germany and Indonesia.

Germany enjoys a good reputation in Indonesia, mainly due to the numerous aid measures to support the country in times of crisis, such as the construction of a tsunami early warning system after the disaster in 2004 , in which over 230,000 people across Southeast Asia were killed, or German aid after the earthquake in 2009 .

For Germany, Indonesia is an important partner in dealing with religious issues, as the number of Muslims living there is higher than in any other country in the world.

Germany is also supporting Indonesia in reform efforts for more stability in its government and administrative structures and budget. Indonesia's far-reaching plans in the field of renewable energies are also receiving great support . President Yudhoyono received a lot of recognition when he reduced the national debt from 80 percent to just 24 percent of gross domestic product .

Economic relationships

Economic relations between Indonesia and Germany go back to the 1950s, when Bremen authorities began to produce tobacco products in Java and Sumatra . Around 1959, Bremen became the most important tobacco market for Indonesia in Western Europe . By the 2000s, the volume of trade in both countries had grown from 2.4 to 4 billion US dollars.

Trade between Germany and Indonesia is still very active today despite a slight decline. While Germany mainly exports machinery, chemical products, communications and other forms of technology and medicine to Indonesia, Germany imports various oils, textiles, food, shoes and various ores from Indonesia. In 2014, exports to Indonesia from Germany fell by 0.4 percent to around 3.9 billion US dollars, and to Germany from Indonesia by 5.5 percent to 3.2 billion US dollars.

Over 300 German companies are currently active in Indonesia. From small businesses to global players like BASF , BMW or Siemens , everything is represented. One reason for this is the " Made in Germany " label , which is highly regarded in the Indonesian economy. The Indonesian businessman Hendri Kusdian said:

"[...] while the prices for German machines were higher than comparable products in other countries, the German-made ones were more dependable."

The German-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry AHK represents the interests of around 500 companies in both countries and offers advice on opening up new markets and setting up new companies. Many other companies such as Germany Trade and Invest GTAI and the German Center Indonesia have made this their business.

The Asian crisis in 1997 caused only minor lasting damage to the German-Indonesian market.

culture and education

The first cultural relationships precede political relationships by more than 200 years. As early as the 17th century, with the colonization of Indonesia by the Dutch , the two cultures first came into contact. In Indonesian art there are epoch styles such as romanticism , which was mainly to be found in Europe between the end of the 18th century and well into the 19th century . Well-known writers such as Theodor Fontane and Hermann Hesse dealt with Indonesian works in their time.

German culture itself is also popular in Indonesia , with the Goethe-Institut in Jakarta taking on many planning tasks for events and celebrations for the exchange and communication of cultures around the world.

Indonesia and Germany are also working together in the field of education . Since the end of the Second World War , almost 30,000 Indonesian students have studied in Germany and today around 2900 Indonesians have studied at German universities. The German International School Jakarta (DIS) is the largest German school in Indonesia with around 380 students. In addition to standard Chinese and Japanese , German is also offered as a foreign language at Indonesian schools . In Indonesia there are currently around 2,400 students studying the German language, the country and the culture.

Security and Defense Policy

As part of the Maritime Task Force (MTF) UNIFIL and the military training aid MAH of the Federal Republic of Germany , Indonesian troops are supported in training their soldiers and protecting their internal security. The focus is on sanitary services and the training of instructors in various areas.

Common projects

Financial support from Germany

In addition to the mutually profitable economic relationships, bilateral development cooperation is also flourishing. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ sponsored various finance and development projects in Indonesia . Together with the German Society for Technical Cooperation GTZ , the BMZ has been supporting projects in Indonesia's social forestry since 1990 . Funds of 8.7 million euros (17 million German marks at the time) were invested in projects in the west of Kalimantan alone.

Between 2010 and 2012, aid from Germany to Indonesia amounted to 520 million euros. In 2013 it was 50.5 million euros, and in 2014 there was a further 175 million euros in aid. These funds are to be used for the main focus of the German-Indonesian cooperation, namely "Sustainable economic development for broad-based growth", "Energy and climate change" and "Good governance and global networks".

REDD program

Indonesia and Germany are in a strategic partnership to combat the ongoing illegal deforestation of the Indonesian rainforest, the overexploitation of natural resources and the associated CO ₂ pollution . For this purpose, measures within the framework of the REDD program (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) were carried out between 2009 and 2012 to protect the environment from damage. The completed REDD project was followed in 2013 by the REDD + project, which provides funds for the protection of forests and provides for the large-scale planting of trees. The project is still active today.

Energy and climate change

Another field of action of this strategic partnership is the reduction of emissions through increased use of renewable energies . For example, Germany supports the national geothermal heating program of the Indonesian government to reduce emissions from slash and burn. Further projects such as the electrification of remote islands and the promotion of sustainable hydropower are planned for the future . In the area of ​​exhaust gas minimization within cities, Germany is also involved with model measures for climate-friendly waste management .

Economic development

With around 250 million inhabitants, Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of the number of inhabitants. As an emerging country , Indonesia is still largely dependent on agriculture, despite its large population . In cooperation with the German-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce , Germany is committed to needs-based vocational training in Indonesia, which currently benefits around 10,000 vocational students each year. This is to help boost the country's economy and help it on its way to a stronger and more stable future.

Governance and Global Networks

Germany supports Indonesia in finding each other both nationally and internationally. The main concern of the Germans is for the Indonesian government to adopt a form of government that makes the country more stable, more serious and more resistant to corruption . Last but not least, human rights and the non-existent emancipation of women also pose a major challenge.

Differences over the death penalty

After ten people were sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia in April 2015 , the German government sought contact with President Joko Widodo and asked him to change course. Federal Commissioner for Human Policy and Humanitarian Aid Christoph Strässer made a statement on April 27, 2015 and expressed his dismay at the judgments of the Indonesian government.

The death penalty has been reintroduced in Indonesia since 2012 and is practiced on an almost regular basis. Indonesian law provides for the death penalty for crimes such as murder , terrorism and drug trafficking .

The Indonesian government is also facing severe criticism internationally because of the regular implementation of the death penalty . Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was shocked by the execution of two Australians and called his ambassador back for consultations. Other countries and organizations such as the Brazilian government and Amnesty International have also sharply criticized Indonesia , but so far without success. The Brazilian government spoke of one:

"Difficult incident of bilateral relations".

However, Indonesia's Justice Minister Muhammad Prasetyo defended the executions. This is how Indonesia leads a:

"War against terrible drug crimes that threaten the very survival of our country".

A change of course by the government with regard to the death penalty is not expected in the foreseeable future.

See also

• German-Indonesian Society
• German-East Timorese Relations

Web links

Commons : German-Indonesian Relations  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• German-Indonesian Society eV
• KITA - Magazine of the German-Indonesian Society ( reading sample )
• Traces of friendship: German-Indonesian relations from 16. – 19. Century: Exhibition of the German Embassy on the Millennium, former National Archives

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Kai Mertins, Zulkifli Tanu: Handbook of Indonesian-German Industrial Cooperation - 1996/1997 - . Ed .: IGIC Berlin, FhG-IPK-Berlin. 1996, ISBN 3-8167-4537-7 .
2. ↑ Indonesian representations in Germany. Federal Foreign Office, accessed on January 23, 2016 . 
3. ^ German representations in Indonesia. Federal Foreign Office, accessed on January 23, 2016 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Relations between Indonesia and Germany. Federal Foreign Office, accessed on January 23, 2016 . 
5. ^ ^{A b c d} Heinrich Seemann - Former German Ambassador in Jakarta: In the early days of German-Indonesian relations. Retrieved January 23, 2016 . 
6. ↑ The History of German-Indonesian Relations. (No longer available online.) German Embassy Jakarta, archived from the original on January 26, 2016 ; accessed on January 26, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ↑ ^{a b c d} Germany, Indonesia take relations a step further. Retrieved January 24, 2016 . 
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e} An important partner in Asia. The Federal Government, July 11, 2012, accessed on January 23, 2016 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Culture, Education and Sport. (No longer available online.) German Embassy Jakarta, archived from the original on January 26, 2016 ; Retrieved January 25, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
10. ↑ Military attaché staff. (No longer available online.) German Embassy Jakarta, archived from the original on January 26, 2016 ; Retrieved January 25, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
11. ↑ ^{a b} Development Cooperation, Germany - Indonesia. (No longer available online.) German Embassy Jakarta, archived from the original on January 25, 2016 ; accessed on January 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
12. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Indonesia - Situation and Cooperation. Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, accessed on January 24, 2016 . 
13. ↑ UN-REDD Program, Indonesia. (No longer available online.) UN-REDD.org, archived from the original on January 27, 2016 ; accessed on January 27, 2016 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
14. ^ German-Indonesian government negotiations concluded in Jakarta. (No longer available online.) Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, November 15, 2013, archived from the original on January 25, 2016 ; Retrieved January 25, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
15. ↑ The 20 countries with the largest populations in 2014. Accessed January 27, 2016 . 
16. ↑ ^{a b} Human Rights Commissioner Strässer on imminent executions in Indonesia. Federal Foreign Office, April 27, 2015, accessed on January 27, 2016 . 
17. ↑ ^{a b c} Worldwide criticism of the execution in Indonesia. www.merkur.de, April 29, 2015, accessed on January 27, 2016 .