Retno Marsudi


Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi is an Indonesian diplomat and the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Working Cabinet. She is the first female minister appointed to the post. She was previously the Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands from 2012 to 2014, as well as Ambassador to Iceland and Norway from 2005 to 2008.

Early life

Born in Semarang, Marsudi graduated from SMA 3 Semarang and continued her study in International Relations, to which she graduated from Gadjah Mada University in 1985. She then pursued a Master's degree in International European Law & Policy at The Hague University of Applied Science and followed the Foreign Ministry training program at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.

Career

Retno joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from university. Between 1997 and 2001, Marsudi served as First Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2001, she was appointed as Director of Europe and America Affairs. Marsudi was promoted to Director of West Europe Affairs in 2003.
In 2005, she was appointed as the Indonesian Ambassador to Norway and Iceland. During her tenure, she was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in December 2011, the first Indonesian to receive the award. She also briefly took up study of human rights at the University of Oslo. Marsudi returned to Jakarta and was appointed Director General for European and American Affairs.
Marsudi was appointed as Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands in 2012. She has also led various multilateral negotiations and bilateral consultations with the EU, ASEM, and FEALAC. On 27 October 2014, she was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Joko Widodo in his Working Cabinet.

Honours