On 20 August 2025, Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), in collaboration with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Jakarta, hosted a public discussion featuring Federal Foreign Minister of Germany, H.E. Dr. Johann Wadephul, on “Germany’s Foreign Policy Outlook on the Indo-Pacific: Positioning Germany and Indonesia in a Changing World Order.” The event marked Minister Wadephul’s first public address during his inaugural official visit to Asia-Pacific as the Foreign Minister of Germany. The discussion highlighted Germany’s foreign policy outlook on the Indo-Pacific and its efforts to strengthen its engagement with Indonesia as a key partner.
Moderated by Prof. Poppy Sulystianing Winanti, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at Universitas Gadjah Mada, the discussion featured three speakers:
- H.E. Dr. Johann Wadephul, Federal Foreign Minister of Germany
- H.E. Arif Havas Oegroseno, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia
- Dr. Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad, FPCI Fellow; Associate Professor at Universitas Indonesia
Opening Remarks by Ambassador Soemadi Brotodiningrat
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Soemadi Brotodiningrat (FPCI Senior Fellow) welcomed Minister Wadephul on his first official visit to Asia-Pacific. Ambassador Soemadi also expressed his optimism that the discussion will generate ideas that will help Indonesia and Germany in facing the current challenges of change.
Keynote Address by H.E. Dr. Johann Wadephul
In his keynote address, H.E. Dr. Johann Wadephul underscored the significance of Indonesia as one of Germany’s key partners.
“That’s what I am here for: to strengthen and expand our bonds. We, Indonesians and Germans, have a common goal: to achieve freedom, security, and prosperity through partnership with others. We are meeting at a time when Europe, Europeans, and Asians are facing a multitude of new challenges together.
[…] Our joint answer to this must be an unwavering commitment to investing in our partnerships. Because we are only strong, we are only able to move forward, if we stand together.”
Foreign Minister Wadephul emphasized Germany and Indonesia’s shared core values, objectives, and commitment towards a rules-based international order as the foundation of their partnership. Beyond these values, he noted that Germany and Indonesia face similar challenges and share common interests in addressing them.
Furthermore, Minister Wadephul reiterated Germany’s commitment to the EU’s Global Gateway Programme, in the form of various partnerships in different sectors with Indonesia.
“Germany is proud to be the lead country in jointly upgrading Indonesia’s rail connectivity in the framework of the Surabaya Regional Railway Line. And it’s also why Germany is assuming greater international responsibility in security and defense policy. Why we are helping to strengthen the resilience of our partners. […] But it’s also why we are engaged in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with Indonesia. Together, we are turning our shared commitment to decarbonization into tangible progress because global challenges need collective action and reliable partnership.”
Public Discussion on “Germany’s Foreign Policy Outlook on the Indo-Pacific: Positioning Germany and Indonesia in a Changing World Order”
The panel discussion explored Germany’s engagement and its foreign policy outlook in the Indo-Pacific region, areas of strategic cooperation with Indonesia, and joint efforts in maintaining sovereignty, security, and prosperity.
Foreign Minister Wadephul emphasized the growing interdependence between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. He noted that developments in one region inevitably affect both security and economic stability in the other, making closer cooperation essential. He also stressed that Europe and Indonesia share common values and interests in defending the international rules-based order, and that prosperity in both regions depends on protecting this system. From a European perspective, he described the Indo-Pacific as “the most interesting region,” pointing to its young populations, stable state systems, and rising political and economic potential. For Germany, he emphasized, this is precisely why a greater focus on the Indo-Pacific—and on Indonesia as a partner—is both necessary and timely.
Building to Minister Wadephul’s points, H.E. Arif Havas Oegroseno, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, reaffirmed the shared core values and commitment towards a rules-based international order, and expressed his concern on the eroded international law—underlining these common grounds as a strong foundation for mutual understanding and cooperation between Indonesia and Germany. Vice Minister Havas also shared his experience in partnering with Germany.
“The world is lacking reliability and certainty. These are the two strategic rare commodities today. Certainty is becoming a very important and losing commodity in many relations around the world. So I think from my experience as an ambassador to Germany, Germany is a very reliable partner.”
Dr. Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad presented his view on Indonesia-Germany’s partnership and highlighted the need for more agile and innovative cooperation in times of great challenges.
“Germany and Indonesia, as well as the largest groupings like EU and ASEAN, should not only work as usual, because extraordinary times, the times of crisis, need not only the usual cooperation-building measures. We need to be faster, we need to be more creative in developing and shaping this cooperation.”
Dr. Shofwan also shared his view on Indonesia’s approach to cooperation. Indonesia follows a more inclusive approach to international relations, favoring cooperation with all partners over great-power rivalry. Meanwhile, Germany shares the same values and reiterates its support in infrastructure and energy development in Indonesia.
The public discussion reflected Germany’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Indonesia and the wider Indo-Pacific region, supporting multilateralism, and addressing global issues collectively. The event was attended by more than 60 German delegates, 20 think tank and academic representatives, 30 press correspondents, and 180 university students.
You can rewatch the public discussion on our YouTube channel “Sekretariat FPCI.” In Conversation with H.E. Dr. Johann Wadephul
