Singapore and Indonesia marked 50 years of diplomatic ties at a Leaders’ Retreat yesterday by declaring they would remain “trusted partners, RISING together”.

While RISING – RI for Republic of Indonesia and SING for Singapore – was coined by diplomats to mark the jubilee, the leaders of the two nations also declared a desire to be friends for the long haul.

The two countries have reaped the benefits of close cooperation in the past 50 years, noted Mr Jonathan Chen, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

“Although the political landscape of both countries has changed since, both continue to pursue a strong bilateral relationship based on shared interests, be it in the context of regional organisations like ASEAN or cooperation in trade, business and growth,” said Mr Chen.