Accompanying Prabowo to the Philippines, Bahlil Aims to Promote Nickel Cooperation

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has stated that Indonesia is open to opportunities for nickel commodity cooperation with the Philippines amid efforts to strengthen energy collaboration in Southeast Asia.

Bahlil made this statement ahead of President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to the Philippines to attend the ASEAN Summit today, Thursday (7/5/2026).

“Tomorrow, God willing, the President will lead the Summit, the ASEAN High-Level Conference in the Philippines. The host is indeed the Philippines. And the issues are two. The first is the food issue. The second is energy,” Bahlil said when met at the Ministry of ESDM on Wednesday (6/5/2026).

According to Bahlil, ASEAN countries are building collective energy strength in Southeast Asia. In this context, nickel is one of the strategic commodities because it can be converted into raw materials for electric vehicle batteries.

“Nikel is one of the energy commodities that can be converted into batteries. Now, in Southeast Asia, not all countries have battery ecosystem factories from upstream to downstream. Indonesia is one that is developing it. Regarding nickel, Indonesia is open,” he said.

He explained that such cooperation does not mean Indonesia will invest in the Philippines. According to him, the opportunities are more about supplying raw materials if Indonesia experiences a supply shortage.

“But it doesn’t mean cooperation for us to invest there. But they might be able to supply if we are short. If we are short on raw materials, it can be supplied from anywhere. So there is no more specific technical cooperation issue, there isn’t, right,” he said.