Singapore-Indonesia leaders’ retreat sets stage for successors, with ‘more active’ engagement expected

In their final meeting as heads of states, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo set the stage for their successors, Lawrence Wong and Prabowo Subianto, who analysts expect to bring “more bilateral engagement and more active leadership” to their foreign policies.

Experts say Wong and Prabowo are likely to take new approaches to a number of issues looming over the region once Lee and Widodo leave office this year, including disputes in the South China Sea and the great power rivalry between the United States and China.

Wong, Singapore’s deputy prime minister, will take over the reins from Lee on May 15, while Prabowo, currently Indonesia’s defence minister, won the country’s presidential election in February and will assume office in October.

The outgoing and future leaders of the two countries met on Monday for this year’s edition of the annual Leaders’ Retreat, held in the city of Bogor in West Java.

Now in its seventh year, the retreat serves as an opportunity for the leaders of Indonesia and Singapore, as well as their ministers, to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments.

“While this retreat is a fitting occasion to reflect and celebrate what we have achieved together, it is also about continuity and looking ahead,” Lee said during a joint press conference with Widodo following the meeting with their successors.

“From the present leadership to the next, we committed to look ahead, build on the strong foundation and to expand our cooperation.”

Ahmad Rizky Umar, a lecturer at the School of Political Science and International Studies at Australia’s University of Queensland, noted how the retreat “formally introduces the successors of both