Foreign Relations of Indonesia

Foreign Relations Of Indonesia

Since independence, Indonesian foreign relations have adhered to a "free and active" foreign policy, seeking to play a role in regional affairs commensurate with its size and location but avoiding involvement in conflicts among major powers. Indonesian foreign policy under the "New Order" government of President Suharto moved away from the stridently anti-Western, anti-American posturing that characterized the latter part of the Sukarno era. Following Suharto's ouster in 1998, Indonesia's government has preserved the broad outlines of Suharto's independent, moderate foreign policy. Preoccupation with domestic problems has not prevented successive presidents from traveling abroad and Indonesia's participation in many international fora. The invasion of East Timor by Indonesia in December 1975 and its annexation in 1976 and the referendum on independence of East Timor from Indonesia in August 1999 strained Indonesia's relations with the international community.