Draft:Achmad Rizal Purnama

Achmad Rizal Purnama

H.E Amb. Achmad Rizal Purnama is the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia for the Republic of Türkiye. Prior to his appointment as an Ambassador, he was the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia from July 2020.

During his tenure as the Chief of Staff, Ambassador Purnama provided strategic policy recommendations for Foreign Minister H.E. Retno Marsudi and Former Vice Minister H.E. Mahendra Siregar on a daily basis. He takes instrumental part in high-level policymaking process for national, bilateral, regional, and global meetings. During the course of his career as Chief of Staff, he contributed greatly in facilitating the success of two major events in Indonesia's role as a global and regional leader, which are Indonesia's G20 Presidency in 2022 and ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023. Ambassador Purnama took direct lead in crafting the President's and the Minister of Foreign Affairs' statements for meetings and help facilitate to ensure strategic outcomes are met amidst the challenging global and regional background at the time. Apart from substantive matters, he also oversees protocol arrangements and strategic media planning for both leaders. Prior to his role as Chief of Staff, Ambassador Purnama served as the Director for the Middle East Affairs from April 2019-July 2020, in which he oversees Indonesia's bilateral relations with the entire Middle East and North African region. Ambassador Purnama served at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC as First Secretary for Political Affairs from January 2014-September 2015. He was promoted to Political Counsellor at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC from October 2015-July 2017.

During his assignment at the Embassy in Washington DC, he plays an instrumental part in the lifting of US military embargo on Special Army Forces (Kopassus). For this effort, Ambassador Purnama personally takes part in all-round approaches to convince all US stakeholders, including the US congress, Department of Defense, and Department of State to revoke the said embargo. As a result, the US revoked the military embargo which was officially announced by the US Secretary of State, John F. Kerry, during his attendance at President Joko Widodo's inauguration as President in October 2014. During his assignment in Washington DC, Ambassador Purnama plays an essential role in President Joko Widodo's official visit to Washington DC on October of 2015. With carefully measured and strategic efforts, targets were met during the visit, such as the elevation of the US-Indonesia partnership from Comprehensive to Strategic partnership; wherein two strategic documents were agreed in defense and maritime cooperation between Indonesia and the US, along with 21 billion US dollar business deals made during the visit.

From February 2010-December 2013, Ambassador. Purnama served as Personal Assistant for the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia. During his tenure, he personally accompanied the Minister for Foreign Affairs in every bilateral, regional, and multilateral level official visits. He also facilitated the work of the Foreign Minister during Indonesia's Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2011 and Indonesia's Chairmanship of APEC in 2013. He played a vital role in the process of Indonesia's engagement in addressing the sensitive situation at the border area between Cambodia and Thailand by taking the initiatives to convene the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta on the 22nd of February 2011. Ambassador Purnama was also actively involved in Indonesia's “Shuttle Diplomacy" to the ASEAN member countries in consolidating the unity of ASEAN by adopting the “ASEAN Six-point Principle on the South China Sea."

Between January 2007 and January 2010 and prior to his assignment as Personal Assistant to Foreign Minister, Ambassador Purnama served as the Third Secretary for Economic Development and Environmental issues at the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. During his tenure in New York, he proposed the Troika+1 leadership (Indonesia; Poland, Denmark and Secretary General of the United Nations) to maintain Indonesia's leadership on the Climate Change issue after the adoption of the Bali Roadmap in 2007. During this period, he was also trusted as the Group Coordinator by the Group of 77 and China in defending developing countries' interests on the issue of agriculture in 2009.

During the Food Crisis in 2009, Under Ambassador Purnama's work, Indonesia proposed the high-level event in the margin of the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly to address the issue. Under his purview, Indonesia also proposed a new agenda item at the UN General Assembly on Food Security and Sustainable Development and facilitated the conclusion of one resolution on the matter. The said agenda item still exists today. Ambassador Purnama has also been trusted to facilitate a resolution that has been stalled for more than 5 years. The resolution was quite controversial: to provide a mandate to convene the United Nations Conference on Sustainable development (UNCSD) known as Rio 2012 or Rio+20. As facilitator, he oversaw the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/236 on December 24th in 2009 which gives mandate to the Summit.

Ambassador Purnama begins his career with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in 2002. His first assignment after graduating from the diplomatic course at the Ministry was under the Public Diplomacy Office from 2004-2006.

Ambassador Purnama graduated in 1999 from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, with an International Law Major. He pursued his Master's Degree at Universitas Indonesia, in Jakarta, on Middle East Studies.

Ambassador Purnama is married to Mrs. Elin Jumaeliah. They are blessed with one daughter, Balqis Nazmi Fauziah (b. 2000) and two sons, Izat Syauqan Rasyad (b. 2004) and Ravi Hilmifuad Purnama (b.2007).

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