Indonesia ups Cambodia relations
- nicholastan788
- May 22
- 4 min read
As Indonesia is investing heavily in enhancing its long-lasting bilateral relations with Cambodia, the recent visit to Jakarta by the Kingdom’s Senate President and former prime minister Hun Sen has served as a great catalyst for the diplomatic cause, remarked the Indonesian Ambassador during an exclusive interview with Khmer Times.
In 1956, Indonesia gave Cambodia recognition as a sovereign nation, and both nations established diplomatic relations in 1959. However, the two nations’ ties go back to ancient times, between the Khmer Empire, the Kingdom of Champa, and the Majapahit Empire.
Last year, Indonesia and Cambodia marked the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between them with a wide range of events. The same years also saw increases in both multi-sectoral cooperation agreements and trade volume between the two ASEAN member states.
Despite the accomplishment, Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto, during an appearance in a Cross-Talk episode on Tuesday, said he believes there is still great potential to expand the two countries’ cooperation further.
“Diplomacy is a continuous effort. If we ever feel completely satisfied, we risk becoming complacent. There’s always more that can be done,” he said.
The ambassador announced that the second semester of 2025 will see a number of initiatives aimed at elevating Cambodia-Indonesia ties at both national and people-to-people levels.
“Looking ahead, we have several important events. On June 14–15, we’re organising “Tuesday Indonesia 2025”–a solo exhibition that highlights trade, tourism, and educational opportunities in Indonesia. It’s a major event, and we hope it will be informative and engaging for the Cambodian public,” he said.
“Additionally, we’re planning something new: an Indonesian Alumni Congress. This event will bring together Cambodian nationals who have studied in Indonesia. We aim to exchange ideas, support new students, and build stronger alumni networks. We estimate that over 100 Cambodians have studied in Indonesia–and many now hold prominent positions in government, business, and academia.”
The upcoming project, Ambassador Darmosumarto stressed, has received a great jumpstart with the visit of Senate President Hun Sen to Jakarta two weeks ago. During the visit, Mr Hun Sen met with Prabowo Subianto as well as Indonesian leaders, including the Regional Representative Council Speaker Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin and House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani.
“The visit reflects the continued upward trajectory of bilateral relations. I like to use the phrase “change and continuity”. On one hand, both countries have experienced leadership changes–Cambodia has a new prime minister, and Indonesia has a new president. On the other hand, the strong foundation of our relationship remains intact,” Ambassador Darmosumarto explained.
“President Prabowo visited Cambodia in the 1990s, and Samdech Techo Hun Sen has always had a close connection with Indonesia. These longstanding ties are evolving into new, concrete programmes that directly benefit our peoples.”
Mr Hun Sen, on the first and second days of the visit, delivers a special lecture titled “Cambodia and ASEAN, ASEAN and the World” at the ASEAN Secretariat, commemorating the 26th anniversary of Cambodia’s accession to ASEAN, and another lecture on “Views and Experience in Building Peace in Cambodia” at the ERIA School of Government.
Ambassador Darmosumarto said he was very impressed by the lectures.
“It was lengthy but captivating and deeply emotional. He spoke candidly about the hardships Cambodia faced during its path to peace and how the Cambodian people made a conscious decision to unite and move forward,” he said.
“He also highlighted Indonesia’s role in the peace process, particularly the Jakarta Informal Meetings and the Paris Peace Agreements. What struck me was his message that the region possesses enough collective wisdom to tackle current challenges–be it security, economic issues, or environmental concerns–through cooperation within ASEAN and with our regional partners.”
The ambassador added that his favourite part of the lectures was when the Cambodian Senate President, who also succeeded in the end of the civil war in Cambodia through his win-win policy, gave details on the behind-the-scenes stories of the peace negotiations.
“Hearing him recount how the Bogor and Jakarta meetings contributed to ending decades of conflict in Cambodia was powerful,” he added. ”But more than just history, he emphasised that the lessons of the past–dialogue, unity, and regional cooperation–can still guide us today as we face modern challenges.”
Amid the tension and uncertainties in the contemporary global setting, Cambodia and Indonesia today are both in a state of peace, governed by stable governments, and their economies are growing, the ambassador noted.
“These are important commonalities we share, and they provide a strong foundation for us to navigate uncertainties together,” he said. One key lesson we’ve learnt, particularly from history, is to avoid being caught in the rivalries between major powers. During the Cold War, our region–Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia–suffered greatly because of such rivalries. We must not repeat that.”
He added that Indonesia and Cambodia, along with other ASEAN members, must work together to strengthen regional resilience.
“We need to increase intra-ASEAN trade, deepen investment cooperation, and rely more on one another instead of depending heavily on external actors,” Ambassador Darmosumarto said.
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