60 years of Indonesia-Cuba relations

Officially beginning Jan 22, 1960, the bilateral ties between the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Cuba have been nurtured and brought up with a firm commitment towards each other. The year 2020 marks 60 years of this commitment and continued friendship between the two countries. Translating their commitment for achieving new heights in bilateral ties between the two sides, the governments and people of both the nations have been contributing their will and efforts in various fields, including, political, social, economical and cultural. Since the visit of then-commander Ernesto “Che” Guevara to Jakarta as the special envoy of Prime Minister of Cuba in 1959, the two nations have maintained a friendship and solid cooperation in various fields, including, regional as well as those pertaining to the international agenda. Mutual sympathy towards each other is highly visible in the efforts incorporated by Indonesia and Cuba.

Sharing deepened cooperation at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, the ideologies and principles circumscribed by the two organisations get prominently on board to ensure growth, development and prosperity in both the nations. Persuasion of the appealing ideologies of both the organisations, and keeping in line with the endeavours to promote cooperation in various fields are the stepping stone for both the nations to create the pool of opportunities to take their diplomatic relations to newer heights. Apart from being a cause of celebration, the long 60 years of commitment and protecting mutual interests on part of both the countries, is also the perfect motivation to resurrect economic-commercial cooperation between the two. Be it most emotive offers of solidarity to Indonesia in 2005 where Cuba sent a team of 25 doctors to relieve the victims of earthquake and Tsunami that affected Indonesia’s Aceh province or Indonesia’s permanent support to Cuba towards the resolution to bring an end to the embargo sanctions imposed against Cuba, the incidents are evident of the fact that the links between the two friends have stood the test of time and distance to show concrete results of cooperation.

Conveying the Cuban government’s gratitude to the Indonesian government, the Cuban Ambassador to Indonesia, Nirsia Castro Guevara thanked the latter for its permanent and sustained support for the resolution entitled Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial embargos imposed against Cuba. Beginning with a special focus on sports and health sectors, the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries is further exploring ways to augment the collaboration. The cooperation amid several regional and international challenges, has given a new definition to the strategic ties, the two nations are committed with.

Cuba acknowledges Indonesia as a precursor of the Non-Aligned Movement and the unadulterated and permanent support on various levels, smooth economic and political bonds are evident of the warm and friendly relations between Indonesia and Cuba since their establishment. Acknowledging each other’s support on economical, commercial and financial front is a manifestation of mutual efforts and mutual cooperation ideology of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The ideal deal of development, being the nurtured and strengthened ties between nations, encompasses the real motive of the inception of the Non-Aligned Movement. From Indonesia’s textiles, shoes and footwear, furniture, ceramics and electronic to Cuba, to Cuba’s cigars and pharmaceuticals, especially vaccines, the nations promote the vision of economic diplomacy and seek new markets for their respective products. With increased potential in the fields of tourism, biotechnology, agriculture and the pharmaceutical industry that are emerging with greater possibilities at short and medium-term, Indonesian and Cuban firms reiterate the excellence of the ties in bringing out greater opportunities for the development of people of both the nations.

With a strong and transparent commitment towards deepening the existing ties, Cuba’s new Foreign Investment Law and the launch of the Mariel Special Development Zone have laid up several opportunities for the Indonesian businesses in Cuba, also allowing them to project towards the Latin American and Caribbean markets. In a recent development, Cuba took part in the first Indonesia-Latin American Business Forum, last year, to explore business opportunities in Indonesia. Being thousands of metres apart, the concerted efforts of both the nations have evidently posed for greater cooperation and fruitful concentration in the economical-commercial area, investment area and even on the international agenda. With greater emphasis on political, socio-cultural, economic-commercial fields, the commitment towards boosting the ties further and incorporating visits, exchange missions and signing of various agreements characterise the links between the two sister nations.