From July 10th – 12th, 2012, Angela Merkel was on her first official state visit in Indonesia as a German Chancellor. On her schedule were, among others, meetings with the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian Constitutional Court, the Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo and representatives from various NGOs.

Her visit coincided with the gubernatorial elections in Jakarta on July, 11th 2012 and the preparations for the upcoming Ramadan in the world’s largest Muslim nation and marks the third significant state visit from a leading western nation after America’s Obama and England’s Cameron in 2010 and 2012 respectively. As one of her visit’s focal points are the trade relations between Indonesia and Germany, Merkel was accompanied by a business delegation and Members of the German Parliament, aiming to boost German investments and transfer of know-how in Indonesia. Germany has always been an important business partner of Indonesia with large investments particularly in the fields of chemistry, infrastructure and power production.

Beside the economical side, her visit also included a cultural aspect, highlighted by visits to Southeast Asia’s largest Mosque, Istiqlal, the Immanuel Church and the Kalibata Hero Cemetery.

Last but not least, the German Chancellor has also met one of HSF Indonesia’s long-standing partners, the Indonesian Constitutional Court and its current president, Mahfud M.D. This institution has made great progress since its inauguration in 2003 and has played a crucial part in the democratization process since the fall of the Soeharto regime in 1998.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation in Jakarta had the honor to participate in two events related to the Chancellor’s visit. Firstly, HSF Indonesia’s director, Dr. Ulrich Klingshirn was invited to a meeting with Members of the German Parliament to talk about the recent political developments in Indonesia.

The second event was a reception at the residence of the German ambassador with the Chancellor herself, the IMF president Christine Lagarde, former Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri and other high profile guests. On that occassion, Merkel – whose last visit to Indonesia dates back to 1995 as the Minister for Environment – talked about the beautiful landscape and biodiversity in this country that should be appreciated and protected by the Indonesian people – a speech that highlights the significance of HSF Jakarta’s engagement for environmental education and protection in this country.