Speeches - KBRI BS Begawan

Your Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of

Brunei Darussalam,

Your Royal Highness Princess Hajjah Zariah,

Pengirans, Pehins, Datos, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalaamu ‘alaikum wr. wb.

A very good evening to you all,

It is with deep sense of privilege that I welcome Your Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam and Your Highness Princes Hajjah Zariah to our reception on the occasion of the 59^th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence this evening.

I and my wife and all member of the Indonesian communities residing and working in

Brunei Darussalam are therefore highly fortunate and at the same time very grateful to have Your Highnesses with us and gracing our reception with your presence.

I would also like to thank our Pengirans, Pehins, Datos, Excellencies and member of Diplomatic Corps, and all Friends of

Indonesia for joining our reception to night.

Your Highness

Distinguished Guests,

As the Indonesian celebrates the birth of our nation, at the same time we also commemorate the 20^th Anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between

Indonesia and

Brunei Darussalam.

To celebrate these special occasions, and as a matter of fact – this is for the second consecutive year that my Foreign Minister, HE. Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda conveyed a special message to

Brunei Darussalam on the Occasion of the 59^th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence.

Qonsequently, please allow me to continue by reading the messages as follows :

“ Message from HE. Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia”.

Assalaamu ‘alaikum wr. wb.

It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest greetings to the people of Brunei Darussalam. In celebrating our 59th year of independence, we the people of Indonesia wish to share our joy and happiness to all our brothers and sisters in the neighbouring countries.

We, Indonesians, believe that no blessing of God is as sweet as life and liberty. We also believe that the highest purpose of man is his liberation from bonds of fear, human degradation and poverty.

Indeed, our founding fathers have placed “participating actively in the maintenance of a world order based on freedom, eternal peace and social justice” as one of the main objectives of Indonesia’s independence. Hence, it is our solemn intention to forge friendly relations with all our neighbours in the immediate region.

We are therefore very fortunate that Brunei Darussalam has not only been a benevolent neighbour but, at the same time, also a close friend of Indonesia. The two countries are closely engaged in a vigorous partnership that has many aspects and dimensions. We are proud of this partnership and we should like it to grow even stronger.

At the bilateral level, our partnership has been strong and robust. To promote productive and mutually beneficial interactions between the two countries, a bilateral joint commission was established in 1999. The commission has ever since met regularly, the last meeting being in July 2003 in which I myself and my counterpart, Foreign Minister H.R.H. Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, led our respective delegations. Furthermore, in the last two years, the two governments have concluded various legal frameworks which provide a solid foundation for two nations to develop further their mutually beneficial cooperation involving all sectors in our two societies. In this regard, a MOU on the Avoidance of Double Taxation was signed by Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia in 2002 followed by another MOU on Defence Cooperation which was concluded in 2003. It is my sincere hope that by way of the existing bilateral joint commission and various MOU’s signed thus far the cooperative endeavors between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam can further explored and enhanced. In this regard, I firmly believe that concrete cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, transportation, education, energy and health still need to be further developed and expanded to their full potentials.

The working relationship and personal ties between leaders of the two countries are also excellent and robustly cemented by common socio-cultural heritages as well as concrete national interests. This has obviously added weight and strength to the already close and productive relationship between Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. President Megawati Soekarnoputri paid an official visit to Bandar Seri Begawan in August 2001. This was soon reciprocated by the sate visit of His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to Indonesia in April 2003. In the meantime, at the level of foreign minister, I and H.R.H Prince Mohamed Bolkiah have interacted closely and productively both at bilateral context and at various international for a of regional and global nature.

At the regional level, our partnership is growing as ASEAN is embracing a process towards the emergence of an ASEAN community by 2020. This ASEAN community is built upon three pillars: ASEAN security community, ASEAN Economic community and ASEAN socio-cultural community. Indeed, ASEAN is striving toward the creation of a more democratic environment in our part of the world and for that matters, Indonesia warmly welcomes the idea made public recently for the re-establishment of Majelis Musyawarah Negara in Brunei Darussalam. As the ASEAN community move progressively into its realization, we believe that Indonesians and Bruneians will be much more closely connected than ever before. The same thing will also happen to all other ASEAN nations. The “we feeling” will be our guiding perspective as we enter into the 21st century with all its attendant challenges and opportunities.

At the global level, we emphasize our close cooperation at such fora as the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). In this connection, we appreciate the continued operation of Non Alignment Movement – Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation or NAM CSSTC which was initiated jointly by Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam in 1998 as a center for South-South technical cooperation. We sincerely expect that our two countries as the-co-initiators of this Centre will continue the cooperation needed for ensuring the future life of the Centre which has proven its usefulness for developing countries in general. In the meantime, as we encounter a sad phenomenon in which Islam has been unjustifiably misperceived and misrepresented in some part of the world, it is our common obligation and commitment to project the values and principles of Islam as a religion of rahmatan lil ‘aalamiin. Finally, it is also our common ideal to strive for the creation of a new international order that promotes peace, justice and prosperity.

While warm and friendly relationship between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam grows promisingly, Indonesia has now moved into a higher level in its democratic process. A legislative election was held on April 5, 2004 subsequently followed by a direct presidential election on July 5, 2004. The final result of direct presidential election in Indonesia will not be known until late September 2004, since a runoff between the top candidates is now needed. But we in Indonesia are optimistic that the runoff will go smoothly. Our optimism has a strong foundation since the previous elections held in April and July 2004 were free, fair, peaceful and above all, conducted in a spirit of moderation.

I am confident that the new Indonesian Government – the one who will come out of the forthcoming presidential election – will maintain a strong commitment to promote and deepen the relationship between the two countries at all levels with a view to maximizing mutual benefits for Indonesians and Bruneians.

Dirgahayu the 59th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, and may the rahmat of Allah, God the Almighty, exalted be His name, shines upon both nations at all times.

Wassalaamu ‘alaikum wr. wb.

That was the end of the message.

Your Highness,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before concluding, I would like to once again thanking you for joining our reception. I and my wife highly appreciate it. Having said that, allow me to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciations to all parties, all government services particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agencies, syarikats, our sponsors, the Indonesian communities, the Friends of Indonesia in Brunei Darussalam, and to all those who have contributed and worked so hard to make this celebration possible.

And to you – Your Royal Highnesses, we cherish the honour of your presence.

Lastly, Your Royal Highness on this hilarious occasion of Indonesian Independence, allow me also to convey on behalf of the Indonesian communities in

Brunei Darussalam as well as my own behalf, our most sincere wishes for the personal health, happiness and continued success of

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara

Brunei Darussalam and to the ever growing cooperation between our two countries.

Dirgahayu Persahabatan

Indonesia dan Negara

Brunei Darussalam !

Thank you.

Wabillahit taufiq wal hidayah,

Wassalamu ‘alaikum wr. wb.

Bandar Seri Begawan, August 20, 2004.


Home	*Remarks by HE. Mr. Yusbar Djamil* *Ambassador of* *Indonesia* *at the Reception in Commemoration of the* *59^th Anniversary of Indonesian* *Independence* *at the Main Conference Hall, ICC,* *Bandar Seri Begawan, August 20, 2004* Your Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, Your Royal Highness Princess Hajjah Zariah, Pengirans, Pehins, Datos, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Assalaamu ‘alaikum wr. wb. A very good evening to you all, It is with deep sense of privilege that I welcome Your Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam and Your Highness Princes Hajjah Zariah to our reception on the occasion of the 59^th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence this evening. I and my wife and all member of the Indonesian communities residing and working in Brunei Darussalam are therefore highly fortunate and at the same time very grateful to have Your Highnesses with us and gracing our reception with your presence. I would also like to thank our Pengirans, Pehins, Datos, Excellencies and member of Diplomatic Corps, and all Friends of Indonesia for joining our reception to night. Your Highness Distinguished Guests, As the Indonesian celebrates the birth of our nation, at the same time we also commemorate the 20^th Anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. To celebrate these special occasions, and as a matter of fact – this is for the second consecutive year that my Foreign Minister, HE. Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda conveyed a special message to Brunei Darussalam on the Occasion of the 59^th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence. Qonsequently, please allow me to continue by reading the messages as follows : “ Message from HE. Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia”. Assalaamu ‘alaikum wr. wb. It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest greetings to the people of Brunei Darussalam. In celebrating our 59th year of independence, we the people of Indonesia wish to share our joy and happiness to all our brothers and sisters in the neighbouring countries. We, Indonesians, believe that no blessing of God is as sweet as life and liberty. We also believe that the highest purpose of man is his liberation from bonds of fear, human degradation and poverty. Indeed, our founding fathers have placed “participating actively in the maintenance of a world order based on freedom, eternal peace and social justice” as one of the main objectives of Indonesia’s independence. Hence, it is our solemn intention to forge friendly relations with all our neighbours in the immediate region. We are therefore very fortunate that Brunei Darussalam has not only been a benevolent neighbour but, at the same time, also a close friend of Indonesia. The two countries are closely engaged in a vigorous partnership that has many aspects and dimensions. We are proud of this partnership and we should like it to grow even stronger. At the bilateral level, our partnership has been strong and robust. To promote productive and mutually beneficial interactions between the two countries, a bilateral joint commission was established in 1999. The commission has ever since met regularly, the last meeting being in July 2003 in which I myself and my counterpart, Foreign Minister H.R.H. Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, led our respective delegations. Furthermore, in the last two years, the two governments have concluded various legal frameworks which provide a solid foundation for two nations to develop further their mutually beneficial cooperation involving all sectors in our two societies. In this regard, a MOU on the Avoidance of Double Taxation was signed by Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia in 2002 followed by another MOU on Defence Cooperation which was concluded in 2003. It is my sincere hope that by way of the existing bilateral joint commission and various MOU’s signed thus far the cooperative endeavors between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam can further explored and enhanced. In this regard, I firmly believe that concrete cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, transportation, education, energy and health still need to be further developed and expanded to their full potentials. The working relationship and personal ties between leaders of the two countries are also excellent and robustly cemented by common socio-cultural heritages as well as concrete national interests. This has obviously added weight and strength to the already close and productive relationship between Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. President Megawati Soekarnoputri paid an official visit to Bandar Seri Begawan in August 2001. This was soon reciprocated by the sate visit of His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to Indonesia in April 2003. In the meantime, at the level of foreign minister, I and H.R.H Prince Mohamed Bolkiah have interacted closely and productively both at bilateral context and at various international for a of regional and global nature. At the regional level, our partnership is growing as ASEAN is embracing a process towards the emergence of an ASEAN community by 2020. This ASEAN community is built upon three pillars: ASEAN security community, ASEAN Economic community and ASEAN socio-cultural community. Indeed, ASEAN is striving toward the creation of a more democratic environment in our part of the world and for that matters, Indonesia warmly welcomes the idea made public recently for the re-establishment of Majelis Musyawarah Negara in Brunei Darussalam. As the ASEAN community move progressively into its realization, we believe that Indonesians and Bruneians will be much more closely connected than ever before. The same thing will also happen to all other ASEAN nations. The “we feeling” will be our guiding perspective as we enter into the 21st century with all its attendant challenges and opportunities. At the global level, we emphasize our close cooperation at such fora as the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). In this connection, we appreciate the continued operation of Non Alignment Movement – Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation or NAM CSSTC which was initiated jointly by Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam in 1998 as a center for South-South technical cooperation. We sincerely expect that our two countries as the-co-initiators of this Centre will continue the cooperation needed for ensuring the future life of the Centre which has proven its usefulness for developing countries in general. In the meantime, as we encounter a sad phenomenon in which Islam has been unjustifiably misperceived and misrepresented in some part of the world, it is our common obligation and commitment to project the values and principles of Islam as a religion of rahmatan lil ‘aalamiin. Finally, it is also our common ideal to strive for the creation of a new international order that promotes peace, justice and prosperity. While warm and friendly relationship between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam grows promisingly, Indonesia has now moved into a higher level in its democratic process. A legislative election was held on April 5, 2004 subsequently followed by a direct presidential election on July 5, 2004. The final result of direct presidential election in Indonesia will not be known until late September 2004, since a runoff between the top candidates is now needed. But we in Indonesia are optimistic that the runoff will go smoothly. Our optimism has a strong foundation since the previous elections held in April and July 2004 were free, fair, peaceful and above all, conducted in a spirit of moderation. I am confident that the new Indonesian Government – the one who will come out of the forthcoming presidential election – will maintain a strong commitment to promote and deepen the relationship between the two countries at all levels with a view to maximizing mutual benefits for Indonesians and Bruneians. Dirgahayu the 59th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, and may the rahmat of Allah, God the Almighty, exalted be His name, shines upon both nations at all times. Wassalaamu ‘alaikum wr. wb. That was the end of the message. Your Highness, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Before concluding, I would like to once again thanking you for joining our reception. I and my wife highly appreciate it. Having said that, allow me to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciations to all parties, all government services particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agencies, syarikats, our sponsors, the Indonesian communities, the Friends of Indonesia in Brunei Darussalam, and to all those who have contributed and worked so hard to make this celebration possible. And to you – Your Royal Highnesses, we cherish the honour of your presence. Lastly, Your Royal Highness on this hilarious occasion of Indonesian Independence, allow me also to convey on behalf of the Indonesian communities in Brunei Darussalam as well as my own behalf, our most sincere wishes for the personal health, happiness and continued success of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam and to the ever growing cooperation between our two countries. Dirgahayu Persahabatan Indonesia dan Negara Brunei Darussalam ! Thank you. Wabillahit taufiq wal hidayah, Wassalamu ‘alaikum wr. wb. Bandar Seri Begawan, August 20, 2004.