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Indonesia–Poland relations refers to the bilateral relations of Indonesia and Poland. Indonesia has an embassy in Warsaw, while Poland has an embassy in Jakarta. Other than similar red-and-white flags, Indonesia and Poland share similar course of history through enduring revolutions, wars for independence and maintaining national unity. Both nations have agreed to expand bilateral relations in trade, culture and education sectors, through programs such as staging art exhibitions to proposing student exchange programs and provide scholarships.
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History
The historical links between Poland and Indonesia dated back to colonial era of Dutch East Indies. Circa 19th century Polish began to migrate to East Indies. The Medan's airport Polonia was named after Poland. The airport was built on tobacco plantation once owned by Baron Michalsky in 1872, a Polish immigrant that named his estate "Polonia", a latin name for Poland.
The bilateral diplomatic relations was officially established in 1955.
High level visits
Indonesian first president Sukarno visited Poland in 1959, followed 44 years later by his daughter President Megawati Sukarnoputri in 2003. Polish leaders reciprocated by visiting Indonesia, President Aleksander Zawadzki in 1961 and President Lech Walesa in 2010. On January 2013 the Polish Parliament delegation led by Krzysztof Klosowski visited their counterparts Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta.
Trade and investment
In 2011 Polish exports to Indonesia is 1.1 trillion rupiah (US$ 121 million), while its imports reached 6.6 trillion rupiah (US$ 720 million), making the trade balance heavily in favor to Indonesia. Poland mainly sells machinery, military equipments and weapons, and chemicals to Indonesia, while buying coal, textiles, wooden furniture, crude palm oil, and agricultural products from Indonesia. Usually the Indonesian-origin furnitures are being finished in Poland and re-export to other European markets.
Polish investment in Indonesia in 1st quarter of 2012 reached US$ 7 million in electronics and intermodal container. While the Polish investments in coal mining, furniture and agriculture shoe the figure US$ 155 million.