Page 11 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

As regards the issue of discrimination suffered by Uyghur Muslims in China, at first the government
had limitations, bearing in mind its cooperation with China. However, the Indonesian House
managed to break through the barrier. It openly and strongly condemned the discrimination of
Uyghur Muslims in OIC Parliamentary forum in Morocco in 2019. This indicates that parliamentary
diplomacy can work beyond the executive can do. The Indonesian House can give voice that the
executive can not in international parliamentary forums.

However, as an instrument of foreign policy, the role of parliamentary diplomacy must be
optimized in the future. One of the ways to optimize its role is through the synergy of the executive
and parliamentary diplomacy agenda. During this time, this has been running at the operational
level. In the sessions at international fora, for example, the Indonesian House of Representatives
is always involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the preparation stage.

But in my opinion, this is not enough. It needs to be a more strategic level of communication
between the executive and the Indonesian House in formulating the overall agenda of Indonesian
diplomacy.

This book is a collection of speeches I have delivered in the framework of parliamentary
diplomacy, at international forums in the period of 2014-2019. It documents important messages
on the endeavors undertaken by the Indonesian House to achieve Indonesia’s national interests
at the global stage. In general, I have constantly emphasized three main points on every speech I
delivered in international forums. They are related to the image of Indonesia as the third largest
democracy in the world, the image of Indonesia as a Muslim-majority and pluralistic country, and
the image of Indonesia as a country that adheres to the free and active foreign policy. These are the
three underlying capitals of Indonesia’s foreign policy at the global stage.

I hope this collection of speeches can add to the collection of literature on the diplomatic role of
the Indonesian House of Representatives. Today it is relatively easy in Indonesia to find literature
on diplomatic achievement of the executive. However, what is still quite rare to find are the
ones about parliamentary diplomatic activities. Though this book, I also hope that people can
get a clearer picture of the messages that the House of Representatives delivered in supporting
Indonesia’s foreign policy agenda.

Dr. Fadli Zon
The Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia
President of GOPAC

x I Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia