Singapore and Indonesia will blaze a path forward for rest of Asean: President Tharman

SINGAPORE – Deep, honest friendship built on understanding and trust – like what Singapore and Indonesia share – is the most precious geopolitical asset in a changing world, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on June 16.

Speaking at a state banquet hosted for his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto on June 16, Mr Tharman noted: “Over the past few years, Singapore and Indonesia have opened a new era in our relationship. With regard to longstanding bilateral issues, we have listened closely to each other and found ways to move forward constructively for mutual benefit.”

He added: “By working together, Singapore and Indonesia will also blaze a path forward, as two of the founding members of Asean, for the rest of Asean.”

Mr Tharman said both countries are now making bold strides to push the frontiers of cooperation, in areas such as the green economy, manufacturing, digitalisation and education.

Mr Prabowo, who grew up in Singapore when it was still a British colony, said he is convinced that the interests of both countries are intertwined.

“We have our ups and downs. We did have our suspicions. We do have differences in backgrounds,” he added. “We have issues that we must resolve, but the fact of the geopolitics of the world today emphasises that only collaboration and partnership can benefit neighbours.”

Mr Tharman noted how the

Expanded Framework agreements,

which came into force in 2024, were a historic milestone as they addressed bilateral issues that had been unresolved for decades.

These agreements covered defence cooperation, airspace management and extradition.

President Prabowo, as defence minister then, was crucial to this process, said Mr Tharman. For his contributions to the strong defence relations between both countries, Mr Prabowo was given

Singapore’s highest military honour

, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera), in 2023.

Mr Prabowo was in Singapore from June 15 to 16 to attend the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat, which he co-chaired with Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong. It was the first such retreat for both leaders in their current capacities.

It was also the Indonesian President’s

first state visit

to Singapore since he took office in October 2024.

Earlier on June 16, PM Wong and President Prabowo witnessed the exchange of

pacts on renewable energy and sustainability projects.

Mr Prabowo said the leaders had a very productive and successful retreat, and agreed on 19 deliverables across many sectors.

Mr Tharman said he looks forward to working with President Prabowo and PM Wong to bring a new generation of Singaporeans and Indonesians closer in the spirit of friendship, and in pursuit of shared interests.

The ties between the two countries go far back to before each nation gained independence, and even before they were colonised, he said.

“People travelled freely across the seas, and between the archipelago of islands and trading posts that linked us together,” said Mr Tharman. “They were also part of the dance of civilisations that shaped the cultures of South-east Asia over the centuries, and which remains alive in their people’s common heritage to this day.”

He noted that Singapore’s first overseas mission after it gained self-government was its trade and cultural office in Jakarta. This was opened in 1961 before Singapore gained full nationhood in 1965.

The first minister to the office was Mr S. Rajaratnam, who was then Minister for Culture and became Singapore’s first foreign minister in 1965.

Mr Rajaratnam was a friend of Indonesia and a close observer of its struggle for independence, Mr Tharman said. When he penned Singapore’s National Pledge in 1966, he drew inspiration from Indonesia’s deep wealth of experience.

Mr Prabowo noted that leaders from both countries helped form Asean, proving that the region could have a zone of peace, prosperity and growth for more than half a century.

While it has problems to resolve, it is still one of the few regions in the world that has achieved this era of stability, peace and growth, he said.

“It is my political decision to enhance the best possible cooperation and partnership with Singapore,” Mr Prabowo added. “I believe sincerely that it’s Indonesia’s national interest and Singapore’s national interest to be close partners, not only friends, but partners.”