Italy and Indonesia have had diplomatic relations since 1949. In these decades, political relations have never presented problematic aspects, and indeed have always been characterized by positive cooperation in the multilateral arena and in major issues of common interest.
In recent years, Jakarta has taken on a growing international profile, becoming the only country in the Southeast Asian region that is a member of the G-20, and distinguishing itself as a key partner in combating terrorism and promoting interfaith dialogue. As a result, diplomatic activity between Italy and Indonesia has intensified. In 2015 the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, paid an official visit to Indonesia on the occasion of the first bilateral dialogue between Indonesia and Italy. The state visit was followed by several diplomatic exchanges, including the visit of the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, to Italy in October 2017 and the visit of the Italian Foreign Minister, Angelino Alfano, to Indonesia in 2018. Also in 2017, Minister of Economic Development, Carlo Calenda, visited the archipelago. In 2018, former Prime Minister Enrico Letta and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Manlio di Stefano visited Indonesia and met with the Italian and Indonesian business communities and conducted ministerial-level talks. During Italy’s G20 Presidency, former Minister Di Maio received Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during the Foreign Ministerial in Matera (June 2021), while President Jokowi attended the G20 Summit in Rome. Former Undersecretary Di Stefano visited Jakarta on June 10, 2022. Prime Minister Meloni attended the G20 Summit held on November 15-16, 2022 in Bali. From October 8-10, 2023, the Deputy Minister for Business and Made in Italy, Hon. Valentino Valentini, visited Jakarta.
2024 marked the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Indonesia, which saw a succession of cultural promotion initiatives, business missions, political meetings and seminars, with the aim of enhancing the existing cooperation between the two countries and launching new initiatives for the coming years.