Originally published 17 March 2021

Veerle is joined by Ambassador Desra Percaya, Indonesia’s current Ambassador in London, to discuss his country’s perspective on geopolitical and security questions in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Indonesia is a regional economic heavyweight and its role in the Indo-Pacific region, the economic engine of the world, is only expected to grow. However, the country’s foreign and security policy have not received adequate attention. Ambassador Desra Percaya highlights Indonesia’s position on some of the region’s ongoing security questions.

This episode seeks to highlight Jakarta’s perspective on the role of China in the region, as well as the situations in Myanmar and Xinjiang, and explores the question of whether Indonesia considers ASEAN as being effective in addressing some of these challenges. Ambassador Desra also lays out how Indonesia views the growing interest of extra-regional powers like the United Kingdom in the Indo-Pacific, and identifies some of the areas in which Indonesia would welcome cooperation and collaboration.