Raisi's visit to Indonesia should be analyzed within the framework of the his government's “Look East” policy, an approach that is also approved by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Considering Iran’s lack of trust in the Western countries, due to their hostile behavior towards the Islamic Republic over the past decades, strengthening relations with the East is on the agenda of Raisi's government. The Iranian government is prioritizing the development of relations with the Asian and friendly countries, especially in the geography of the Islamic world.
With a population of more than 250 million people, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world that has had close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Indonesia’s relations with Iran date back to the 1950s, and bilateral ties have grown significantly since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Indonesia is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the World Trade Organization, and also the D8 group, which consists of eight Muslim countries. Given its rich resources and sizable population, relations with this country will lead to significant achievements for Iran. The two nations can cooperate in the economic, international and cultural fields.
Indonesia is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Since Iran is considered a dialogue partner of this union; an adjustment of Iran's economic relations with Indonesia can strengthen Iran's multilateral cooperation in Southeast Asia. Also, considering that Iran is an important member of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in West Asia and its ECO-ASEAN cooperation has been on the agenda for many years, therefore, Raisi’s trip to Indonesia takes on more significance. In the economic sphere, Iran and Indonesia can have significant cooperation in the field of energy and transit. The port city of Bandar Abbas on the southern coast of Iran can play a significant role in facilitating Indonesia’s trade via Iran to Central Asia, the Caucasus and even Europe.
The two Muslim countries have other commonalities, especially in supporting the Resistance Front. Indonesia shares the same policy as Iran when it comes to the oppressed people of Palestine. Indonesians want the freedom of Palestine and protest against the crimes of the Zionist regime. The issue of Palestine has long been one of the areas of cooperation between Iran and Indonesia in international forums.
In general, it can be said that relations between the two countries can find wider dimensions after Raisi's visit to Indonesia. Given that Indonesia is one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the forefront of the fight against unilateralism and a great advocate of multilateralism, closer ties between the two countries can help bring countries that are opposed to global arrogance closer to each other.
In other words, stronger cooperation between Iran and Indonesia can lead to the strengthening of multilateralism in the world.
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