Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono described Ambassador of Indonesia to the Philippines Agus Widjojo, who passed away on 8 February in Jakarta, as one of the nation’s finest son.
“We have lost a figure who was so steadfast, so tenacious, in dedicating himself to the nation and the state,” Sugiono stated during the ceremony for the repose of the “humble diplomat and reformist soldier,” according to Kompas.
Sugiono also described Widjojo as a diplomat, saying he was a flexible person, easy to socialize with, and has a very fluid relationship with embassy staff in Manila and fellow Indonesians in the Philippines.
Philippine Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo said Widjojo “will be remembered as a man of honor who personified the principles of balance and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) — ”values that remain essential to global harmony,” Journal reports.
The Philippines is Widjojo’s first and only diplomatic posting. Prior to his appointment as ambassador, he served as adviser to former Indonesian president Joko Widodo from 2015 to 2019, providing policy guidance on national defense, security reform, and governance and regional diplomacy.
During his stint in Manila, Widjojo deepened and strengthened cultural, economic, security and trade relations between Indonesia and the Philippines.
The former army officer and military reformer of Indonesia saw the growth of bilateral trade to $12.5 billion, making his country one of the Philippines’ top trading partners.
Calling the Philippines as Indonesia’s strategic partners in maintaining peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia, Widjojo actively promoted increased Philippine exports to Indonesia and supported joint ventures, infrastructure projects, and cooperation in digital economy sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, and digital infrastructure.
Widjojo signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines on health collaboration, including disease surveillance and health-system cooperation, for which Tulfo praised him.
He promoted collaboration on clean energy transition, energy access, and poverty reduction initiatives in remote areas; encouraged development cooperation in Mindanao/Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao; supported tourism, cultural promotion, and investment projects in BARMM, including energy investments; promoted stronger border and counter-terrorism cooperation; and advocated regional maritime stability.
Widjojo’s maritime security expertise and peacebuilding experience were instrumental in performing his ambassadorial role,
Widjojo was widely respected in his country for helping transform Indonesia’s military into a democratic institution, bridging military and civilian policymaking, promoting peaceful conflict resolution, and strengthening Indonesia’s reputation in ASEAN security diplomacy. He participated in peace and governance policy discussions related to the Aceh conflict settlement, Papua autonomy and security issues and post-conflict stabilization programs.