Visit by Indonesian Regional Leaders to Singapore for the 2nd RISING Fellowship

Singapore hosted a group of regional leaders from the Republic of Indonesia for the 2^nd RISING Fellowship from 6 to 10 March 2023.

The delegation met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Education and Minister-in-charge of Public Service Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann.

They exchanged views on managing the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ideas to drive economic growth. They also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across different sectors including trade and investment, tourism, health, education, and agribusiness. Singapore will continue to work with Indonesia to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest and strengthen our people-to-people ties.

The RISING Fellowship 2023 concluded today.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

10 MARCH 2023

Dialogue with DPM Lawrence Wong on 9 March 2023

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information Singapore

Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, SMS Sim Ann, and the RISING Fellows at the Closing Ceremony on 10 March

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Closing Ceremony on 10 March 2023

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Minister Chan Chun Sing with the RISING Fellows at the Opening Ceremony on 6 March 2023

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Minister Ong Ye Kung’s virtual dialogue with the RISING Fellows on 8 March 2022

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Minister Maliki Osman’s lunch engagement with the RISING Fellows on 9 March 2023

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Site Visit to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant on 9 March 2023

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

(L-R) Regent of Banggai Amirudin Tamoreka, Regent of Banyuwangi Ipuk Fiestiandani Azwar Anas, and Regent of Tegal Umi Azizah

Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN

FOR THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE SECOND RISING FELLOWSHIP

FRIDAY, 10 MARCH 2023

[Delivered in Bahasa Indonesia]

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen

1 Selamat pagi! I am delighted to join you for the closing ceremony of the 2^nd RISING Fellowship. The fellowship was first launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Joko Widodo in 2018 as a platform to build and strengthen relationships between leaders from Indonesia and Singapore and for us to learn from each other. I am glad that after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now able to resume these exchanges and deepen our engagement as we look ahead to the many new and emerging areas of bilateral cooperation. Your presence today is a testament to the excellent ties between our countries, and the strong friendship between our people.

2 I understand you had a busy week, interacting with our Cabinet Ministers and officials, attending networking sessions, and making site visits to Republic Polytechnic and the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant. I hope this year’s programme has offered you fresh new ideas and a better sense of the range of opportunities for collaboration, and also allowed you to make new friends and connections along the way.

3 Singapore and Indonesia share a deep and enduring friendship. We communicate openly, and act in good faith and with mutual respect. This element of mutual trust is a precious commodity which has been built up over many years through regular exchange programmes such as the RISING Fellowship. As the next generation of young leaders, I hope that all of you will continue to stay engaged and deepen the bonds and friendships which have been formed over the past week.

4 Let me make three brief points on our bilateral relationship. First, in a global environment that is increasingly volatile, complex and dangerous, no country can work alone. All around us, we see anxiety among our citizens over economic uncertainty, rising inflation, the food and energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, and superpower contestation. Yet, it is important to remember that modern challenges like pandemics, supply chain disruptions, food resilience, and climate change are not constrained by borders. Countries must work together to address these challenges. It is therefore critical for Singapore and Indonesia to cooperate even more closely - both bilaterally, and with our fellow ASEAN Member States. Singapore will give our full support for Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship this year, as we did for your G20 Presidency in 2022.

5 Second, we are keen to do more with Indonesia and explore mutually beneficial opportunities to tap into Indonesia’s potential as an economic powerhouse with a young and innovative population. We will continue to deepen our links, not just with Jakarta, but also provincial governments and local leaders to explore collaboration in areas such as the green and digital economies, tourism, education and agribusiness. We hope to build on the success of bilateral projects such as the Nongsa Digital Park in Batam and the Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java, which not only support Indonesia’s growing industrial and digital needs but also creates jobs for Indonesians and local communities.

6 Third, we must continue to strengthen our longstanding and multi-faceted people-to-people ties. Thousands of Indonesians study and work in Singapore. Indonesia was also Singapore’s largest source of tourist arrivals last year. In my many visits to Indonesia, I often meet Singaporeans who live in Indonesia and contribute in their own ways to the community. Many of them tell me about their way of life in Indonesia, and their love for Indonesian food and culture. We hope to send more of our students to gain exposure to Indonesia through exchange programmes and work attachments. These people-to-people exchanges help build mutual understanding and trust, which underpin the foundation of our bilateral relationship and will anchor our engagement for many years to come.

7 I hope you have had a fruitful visit to Singapore for the RISING Fellowship. There is so much more that we can do together, learn from each other and support one another, as our countries emerge stronger than before from the pandemic. I hope you will continue to stay in touch, visit each other, exchange ideas and work together to take our bilateral relations to even greater heights. Thank you very much.

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