Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the banquet hosted by H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia, 18 February 2008

(check against delivery)

On behalf of my husband and myself, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to you, Mr President and Mrs Yudhoyono for the invitation to come to Indonesia on a state visit. We have been met with great warmth and great Indonesian hospitality. We have been very impressed by the welcome.

You yourself made a state visit to Finland in September 2006 – in connection with the ASEM6 Summit. Cooperation between the European Union and Asian countries will again this year be in focus, when China will host the next ASEM Summit in October in Beijing. The close relationship between the regions supports the strengthening and deepening of our bilateral relations too.

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Today, Finland and Indonesia signed a Joint Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainable Forest Management. It is only natural that we intensify our cooperation in this area, as both our countries have significant forest resources. But our forests do not belong just to us; they belong to future generations too. Therefore, we must ensure that they are used in a sustainable way.

The protection of forest resources is also crucially linked to mitigating climate change. I would like to take this opportunity to express my delight and admiration that you, Mr President, take such an active interest in climate issues and forest protection.

Our cooperation covers also many other sectors, and in this respect many bilateral agreements have been finalised. Finland has ratified the Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investments between our countries, and I trust that ratification will soon be completed in Indonesia too. This will allow us to deepen the economic cooperation in a manner that benefits both our countries.

I am accompanied on this visit by Mr Väyrynen, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, and an extensive and high-level business delegation. I hope that the contacts during the visit will also increase Indonesian interest in Finland. Our location in Europe and the high level of expertise are our strengths.

Indonesia has progressed a lot over the past decade and has become an economically successful country. You yourself and the political leadership are committed to the process of democratisation. The stability of Indonesia is of a great regional and international importance.

Indonesia has a rich and varied culture, which we have had the pleasure of enjoying in Finland too. I am pleased that there are cultural events on my programme during this visit too. Finnish culture has also been featured in Indonesia; for example, Finnish films have been shown during the annual film week organized by the EU. Last autumn, a Finnish jazz trio appeared at the Jakarta Jazz Festival for the second time. I trust that we will be able to broaden our cultural exchange further.

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The earthquake and tsunami that occurred just over three years ago caused great destruction and grief, yet it brought our nations closer together. There was genuine caring and a desire to help. Your recovery effort has been huge. Finns have participated in reconstruction work, particularly in Aceh and Nias.

As of the beginning of 2005, an important part in the developments in Aceh was played by the peace talks held in Helsinki under my predecessor, President Martti Ahtisaari. Sustainable solutions require strong political will and commitment. Your support, Mr President, has been crucial for the success of the peace process.

During this visit, I will have the opportunity to visit Aceh myself and to witness its reconstruction, the implementation of the peace treaty and the actual status of women.

Taking women’s experiences into account and listening to their voice make it easier to succeed in building up sustainable solutions. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security contains very concrete requirements regarding the respecting of the fundamental and human rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations. The NGOs play a very important role in this context – I am pleased that in our bilateral cooperation this has been recognised. NGOs’ support, encouragement and concrete action have been instrumental in improving the status of women and stabilizing society in many countries.

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Today’s security challenges are shared by all of us and cannot be met with national or military measures alone; we need regional and global international cooperation. This is essential in matters such as mitigating climate change and promoting fair globalization.

Multilateral interaction requires us to respect the plurality of cultures and religions. It is very important that Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, is actively involved in promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue. In January, I had the pleasure of participating in the First Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Madrid. The Forum was organized with the support of the United Nations.

Indonesia maintains a strong international position. Your country is a founding member of the non-aligned countries movement and of ASEAN. You are firmly committed to multilateralism and the role of the United Nations. Indonesia currently has a seat on the Security Council of the UN and is also a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Last year, mitigating climate change finally became a fundamental worldwide goal. I am hopeful that the sense of global responsibility will grow. Indonesia, and you yourself, Mr President, hosted the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali last December, and for that I would like to give you my thanks. That meeting represented a step forward, and I believe it is the start of a new path. We must ensure that global development is both socially just and environmentally sustainable.

Mr President,

It has been a great pleasure to meet you again. I would like to propose a toast to you, your wife, the people of Indonesia and the excellent relations between our two countries.