rancakmedia.com – After Indonesia’s independence day was declared on August 17, 1945, six foreign countries were the first to recognize it. There are countries that recognize Indonesia’s independence and fulfill declarative elements in forming the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
In addition to the declarative elements, there are also constitutive elements that influence, which are divided into regions, people, and sovereign governments.
In fact, the declarative element does not absolutely have to be fulfilled, but it is important so that it is not isolated in international relations. Then, who was the first country to recognize Indonesia’s independence? Here’s a list of six.
The following are countries that recognize Indonesia’s independence
1. Egypt
The first country to recognize Indonesia’s independence was Egypt on March 22, 1946. Releasing gramedia.com on July 17, 2022, the country which is famous for its pyramids and the Sphinx then knit diplomatic ties with Indonesia. Until 2022, diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Egypt have been running for 71 years and are continuously being improved until now.
Egypt’s support in recognizing the independence of the Republic of Indonesia was stated when the Consul General of Egypt, Muhammad Abdul Mu’im, arrived in Yogyakarta on March 13-16, 1947. Quoting Kompas Stori on May 22, 2022, the direction of his presence was to convey a message from the Arab League that supports Indonesia’s independence .
The Arab League as an organization divided into several Arab countries. The role of Egypt as the first country to recognize Indonesia’s independence is enormous, because other Middle Eastern countries such as Syria, Qatar, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia have followed suit in providing statements or support. The reason the Arab League provides support is religious ties, kinship, and brotherhood.
2. Syria
When Indonesia was independent but still plagued by Dutch military aggression, Syria, as a member of the Arab League, fought for the issue at the 1947 UN session. The Dutch military aggression in Indonesia was finally stopped through comfortable talks.
Since Syria has become a country that recognizes Indonesia’s independence, bilateral ties are also bound. However, the escalation of relations briefly stopped when the Syrian dispute broke out in 2011. Currently, the relations between the two countries only provide mutual support in the international community.
3. Lebanese
Lebanon follows Egypt and Syria in the list of countries that recognize Indonesia’s independence. The statement was de jure given by Lebanon to the Republic of Indonesia on July 29, 1947.
From there, the Indonesia-Lebanon bilateral relationship was bound, which was initially accredited by the Indonesian Ambassador in Egypt. The Indonesian Embassy to Lebanon was then officially established in the capital Beirut in 1996.
4. Yemen
Yemen’s recognition of Indonesia’s independence was given on May 3, 1948. Furthermore, Indonesia-Yemeni bilateral relations have continued to be improved in the political, economic, and socio-cultural sectors, and have been going on for 70 years.
5. Saudi Arabia
The country that recognized the independence of Indonesia after that was Saudi Arabia. However, the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia was only legally bound from May 1, 1950 and has continued until now.
King Salman had visited Indonesia in 2022, and the oil-rich country opened up job opportunities for TKI (Indonesian Workers). Not to forget, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are also knitting cooperation in the Hajj section.
6. Vatican
July 6, 1947, the Vatican became one of the first European countries to issue a declaration of sovereignty on the independence of Indonesia. Diplomatic relations between the two countries can be seen with the establishment of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) at the Vatican in the same year. The RI-Vatican relationship was strengthened when the Vatican Embassy (Apostolic Nunciature) officially arrived in Jakarta since 1950.
Several Countries That Support Indonesia’s Independence
Several countries supported an independent Indonesia, even before President Soekarno read the proclamation on August 17, 1945. Quoting Good News from Indonesia on August 24, 2022, one of the supporting countries was Palestine as noted by Zein Hassan in the book Diplomacy of the Indonesian Revolution Abroad.
The support for Palestine was stated by a nationalist figure as well as the Grand Mufti, Amin Al Husseini, through Arabic-language radio broadcasts for 2 consecutive days from Berlin, Germany, in 1944. Amin Al Husseini’s words were not a legitimate recognition of sovereignty, but only support because of Indonesia not yet independent. Palestine itself in 1944 was still under British rule (1920-1948).
Furthermore, Kompas Stori released, after Palestine there was India who also provided support for the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, with the background of rice diplomacy by Sutan Sjahrir in 1946. At that time, Indonesia sent a large 500,000 tons of aid to India while experiencing a food crisis due to British colonialism.
Rice diplomacy has made India constantly voicing the struggle for the independence of the Indonesian nation. Then, India through its prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, initiated the holding of the Inter-Asia Meeting or the New Delhi Meeting on January 20-25, 1949.
In addition to rice diplomacy, the background of India’s support includes feelings of shared destiny and sharing as a colonized nation, historical and cultural closeness since the 5th century AD, and the closeness of the leaders of the two countries.
