News from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Jakarta that Indonesia will appoint an ambassador to Sweden signals that the frosty official relations between Sweden and Indonesia are over. Today, the spokesman for Indonesia’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced to regional news agencies that a new ambassador will be appointed for the vacant position at Indonesia’s embassy in Stockholm. The move follows a peace agreement this August between Indonesia and the separatist movement GAM in the Aceh province, northern Sumatra. GAM’s leaders have resided in Sweden for years while its military wing has fought a bloody war against Indonesian troops in Aceh and this prompted Jakarta to call back its ambassador to Sweden as well as to enforce mandatory visa conditions for Swedes traveling to Indonesia. Earlier in December, Swedish government sources told ScandAsia that they believe Indonesia will lift the visa requirements for Swedes when diplomatic relations are normalized again.
Today’s news does not mention any visa waiver.
