CNS: Having served in London, Díli and Washington, D.C., you have gained deep experience of different civilizations and cultures of the East and the West. How do you understand the changes in the world today and the necessity of exchanges between different civilizations in this regard?
Dino Patti Djalal: The best lesson from my personal and diplomatic career is that the world is more peaceful, stable, and prosperous when the North and the South, the East and the West are engaged in dialogue and cooperation. We cannot eliminate differences, and we can not resolve every dispute. But an attitude of always being open to peaceful consultation is the key to stability in international relations. I have also come to the conclusion that every civilization is unique and special. No civilization can claim it is greater than others. Each civilization has its own contribution to humanity. As an Indonesian, I am convinced of the truth of what my former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono once told me: that Indonesia has benefited from embracing the best of all civilizations– including Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Sinic, Western, and others. The infusion of these civilizations in Indonesian nationhood has enriched us.
The need to foster dialogue among countries and cultures was a compelling reason for me to initiate the Global Town Hall process. This forum strictly adheres to the North-South East-West paradigm, where participants are all welcomed as equals and without judgment or prejudice. Global Town Hall is in its fourth year, and has grown to be an online global dialogue involving thousands of participants from 145 countries, including from China.
CNS: You were shortlisted for the first Orchid Award “Friendship Envoy Award” initiated by CICG. Congratulations! What are your anticipations about the future development of friendly relations between ASEAN-China and Indonesia-China?
Dino Patti Djalal: The prospects are excellent. This is because both Indonesia and China, and ASEAN and China, have been able to develop strategic trust over the years. Additionally, the infrastructure of cooperation has been extensively built, covering more and more sectors and impacting more and more people. That trust should never be taken for granted and must always be constantly earned. This requires our leaders to fully commit themselves to this important relationship based on mutual respect and equality, our officials at the working level to work together ever closer, and our peoples to keep strengthening the bonds of friendship.
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