The visit by Foreign Minister Sugiono to Pyongyang last week on the invitation of his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, marked the first such trip by an Indonesian official in 12 years. Sugiono was leading an Indonesian delegation to attend Pyongyang’s military parade to celebrate the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
Sugiono said in the bilateral talks that his country was eager to facilitate closer engagement between North Korea and the 10 members of Asean through mechanisms such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, according to a statement by the Indonesian foreign ministry issued on Saturday.
“The visit was more about demonstrating Indonesia’s diplomatic autonomy and potential credentials as a mediator in a fractured international order,” he said.
