INS grants Linggarjati Award to Minister Retno Marsudi

25 Nov 2016

A proud minister Retno Marsudi with the Linggarjati Award 2016, flanked by PM Mark Rutte and INS-chair Jesse Kuijper

Of course the Indonesia Nederland Society joined the Dutch Economic Mission to Jakarta, presided by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

It was during this mission, on November 22, that chairman Jesse Kuijper full-heartedly and with pleasure conferred the Linggarjati Award 2016 on H.E. Mrs. Retno L.P. Marsudi in the presence of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Mrs. Marsudi is granted this Award in particular for her diplomatic and resolute efforts as former Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands (2012-2015), to bring relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands to an even higher level of friendship and understanding.

Linggarjati Award

Since 2012 INS yearly grants the Linggarjati Award to a prominent person from Indonesia and/or the Netherlands for his or her merits in promoting good relationships between the Netherlands and Indonesia. Former laureates are: Mrs. Joty ter Kulve – van Os, Dr. Arifin Siregar, H.E. Dr. Hassan Wirajuda and Dr. Bernard Bot.

Linggarjati is a small village in West-Java where 70 years ago, an Indonesian delegation and a Dutch Commission-General came together to negotiate a new relationship between the two countries resulting in the Linggarjati Agreement. This was a key achievement for both delegations. The house in Linggarjati, where the negotiations took place, has become a Lieu de Mémoire, because it is there, that in a sphere of mutual respect and mutual trust, the conditions were laid for reconciliation and future cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia.

The house is now a national museum of Indonesia. And at its 70^th anniversary, it might be well nominated as shared cultural heritage of international peace diplomacy.

Background Mrs. Retno Marsudi

Before she was assigned to the Hague, Mrs. Marsudi was Indonesian Ambassador to Oslo. She also had been, among other postings, Director General for American and European Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Jakarta.

Retno Marsudi was born in 1962 in Semarang and grew up in an environment that appreciated the core Javanese values of being wise, alert, humble and constructive. She studied International Relations at Gadjah Mada University and subsequently continued her study in Oslo and the Hague. Her family means everything to her. She is married with Mr. Agus Marsudi, a well-known architect in Jakarta. Together they have two adult sons.

To Retno Marsudi trust-building is a key-element for conflict resolution. At the Fifth World Peace Forum she explained why that is so important. “Trust must be built between conflicting parties where they should learn to listen and ponder on what each other is trying to say and express. With the establishment of trust and confidence, negotiations can happen and continue into something constructive.”

Ambassador in The Hague

When Retno Marsudi arrived in The Hague in March 2012 to take up her task as Indonesian Ambassador, it quickly became clear that she did not hesitate to seek personal contact with Prime Minister Rutte and opposition leaders whenever delicate political issues arose. Given the high regard the Dutch political leaders had for her, she always got their full attention. This was the more important because of the still delicate and vulnerable relationship between our two countries at that time. She succeeded in building trust with a sensible, adaptable and forward-looking attitude.

This was how she gave new meaning and content to the deepening friendship between Indonesia and the Netherlands. And indeed something constructive happened. Since August 2005 a comprehensive partnership proposal was waiting to be signed. It was in October 2013 during the tenure of Ambassador Marsudi, when the relationship was restored, that President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Mark Rutte could finalise the momentum.

It is in this spirit of trust and confidence that the Linggarjati Award is granted to her and INS founds it an honor that Mrs. Marsudi accepted the Award gracefully.