Figure for January 2026: Belgium has maintained diplomatic relations with Indonesia for 75 years (in 2025)

In 2025, Belgium and Indonesia celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations. But did you know that our relations actually date back to the 19^th century? And that the creation of Belgium in 1830 was to some extent related to events in what was then the Dutch East Indies?

Last year, our country celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations with Indonesia. To bring the anniversary year to a close, our embassy in Indonesia's capital city Jakarta organised an exhibition in the National Archives (from 24 November 2025 to 24 January 2026). The purpose: to illustrate our centuries-long relationship as reflected in around 100 items from the archives. We list that history below.

The United East India Company

From the end of the 16^th century onwards, the Southern and Northern Netherlands gradually took different paths. The South remained part of the Spanish-Habsburg Empire, while the North was paving the way for its Golden Age.

The United East India Company (VOC) played a major role in that regard. After all, the company was granted the Dutch monopoly on trade with Asia for two centuries, and that included an archipelago of islands in South East Asia that we know as Indonesia today.

The Java War

In 1795, the Dutch state took over the VOC. From that point onwards, the Dutch colonial army conquered most of what was ultimately called Indonesia, though that was not without its challenges.

During the Java War (1825-1830), Prince Diponegoro – who is regarded as a national hero today – fought fiercely against the colonial power. And though the Netherlands managed to regain control of Java, the conflict still represented a significant drain on its finances at a time when the regions that make up Belgium today were still part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Belgian Revolution

That economic weakening – caused in part by the Java War – added to the revolutionary atmosphere in the south. Indeed, there was a great deal of discontent among the future Belgians at the time about our association with the north and the Belgian Revolution therefore led to the foundation of Belgium as an independent country in 1830.

As early as 1855, our country opened a consulate in Batavia (Dutch East Indies), which was followed later by Semarang, Surabaya, and Padang, amongst others. And in 1928 and 1932, the then Crown Prince Leopold and Crown Princess Astrid visited the Dutch East Indies (Bali, Borneo, Java, etc.).

Committee of Good Offices

From 1945 to 1949, the Netherlands and its colony became embroiled in a bloody struggle for independence and from a very early stage, our country played a crucial mediating role. In 1947, Belgium - together with the USA and Australia – actually became a member of a kind of peace mission known as the Committee of Good Offices– the very first of its type – which was appointed by the newly created UN Security Council.

Paul Van Zeeland, Belgium's Foreign Minister at the time, represented our country on the committee, but other Belgians were also involved in the mediations. These included Georges de Jonghe d'Ardoye, a prominent Belgian diplomat at the Vatican.

The mediations ultimately led to Indonesia's official independence in 1949, with it being the first country to become independent after World War II. Belgium almost immediately recognised Indonesia as an independent and sovereign state.

State visits and economic missions

Since then, Belgium and Indonesia have always maintained close relations, which have manifested themselves in the form of various (state) visits and economic missions, among other things. For example, President Suharto travelled to Belgium in 1972 to establish economic cooperation. In 1974, King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola, in turn, visited the archipelago of islands for 13 days, the Borobudur Temple on Java being one of the locations they admired.

Prince Albert led an economic mission to Indonesia three times (in 1970, 1978, and 1984) and his son Crown Prince Philippe did the same in 2008. But the largest delegation was the one led by Princess Astrid. In 2016, she led a princely mission of 300 people, which included 250 business people.

The President of Indonesia has also visited our country on several occasions, including President Wahid in 2000, President Widodo in 2016 and President Prabowo Subianto in 2025. All of these events have led to fruitful cooperation in various fields: education, development, trade, investment, and culture.

Europalia

Over the years, some 50 Belgian companies have established operations in Indonesia and have invested heavily. They encompass a wide range of sectors such as textiles, dredging, palm oil, steel, furniture, chemicals, logistics, renewable energy, high-tech, and food and beverage.

Also worth mentioning is the Europalia arts festival, which, in 2017, was devoted entirely to Indonesia. On that occasion, the La Boverie museum (in Liège) literally pushed the boat out in the form of a faithful copy of a 10-centuries-old Padewakang boat, a traditional vessel from South Sulawesi.

“History is a guide to shape the future”

The exhibition Archives of Friendship in Jakarta, which was set up by our embassy in cooperation with the National Archives of Indonesia, successfully and abundantly illustrated this rich past by displaying old documents, photos, and videos, thereby affirming the strength and resilience of our partnership. The exhibition itself concluded a year of events that kicked off with a major symphonic concert in Jakarta (in November 2024) featuring both Belgian and Indonesian musicians.

A future of close cooperation lies ahead. As the head of the National Archives of Indonesia put it, “History is not simply a record of the past, but a guide to shape the future.”