Airlangga Pushes for Energy Collaboration Amid Global Crisis
The Indonesian government, alongside Japan and partner countries in the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), held the AZEC Plus Online Summit Meeting on Wednesday (15/4). This virtual meeting was convened amid rising global geopolitical tensions affecting energy supplies.
The online summit, chaired directly by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, was deemed strategic due to its broader scope. In addition to core partner nations, Japan invited Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, India, South Korea, and Sri Lanka, as well as international institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
As a concrete response to the ongoing energy crisis, the meeting launched an “assistance package plan”. This initiative is designed to agree on strategic steps across various aspects, from short-term emergency mitigation to secure crude oil and energy product supplies, to strengthening regional energy resilience structures in the medium and long term through the transformation of AZEC into AZEC 2.0 and the launch of a 1.5 trillion yen financing package.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, who attended representing President Prabowo Subianto, expressed appreciation for Japan’s swift response in organising the meeting amid increasing global energy supply uncertainties.
On this occasion, Airlangga emphasised that cooperation within AZEC must continue to be based on the principle of “One Goal, Various Pathways” to capture the unique economic advantages of each country.
“Cooperation within AZEC must continue to be based on the principle of ‘One Goal, Various Pathways’ to capture the unique economic advantages of each country,” stated Airlangga Hartanto in a written statement on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
He also outlined Indonesia’s concrete steps in mitigating the situation in the Persian Gulf, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, namely plans to implement the B50 biodiesel programme in mid-2026 and the completion of the 100 GW Rooftop Solar Power Plant (PLTS) roadmap this year as key pillars in enhancing national energy resilience.
Furthermore, Indonesia affirmed that cooperation through the AZEC platform has become increasingly crucial. This spirit of collaboration was strengthened at the 3rd AZEC Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 26 October 2025, where Indonesia and Japan agreed on 21 new memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in the energy and sustainable development sectors. These agreements cover renewable energy, decarbonisation, and strengthening supply chains involving various institutions and companies from both countries.
To date, AZEC continues to prove its role as an inclusive and adaptive platform in supporting energy transitions tailored to the characteristics of member countries. Indonesia itself continues to push for tangible collaborations to strengthen project financing and impacts.
Spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy Haryo Limanseto explained that one proof of this success is reflected in the AZEC Expert Group Meeting forum, which has successfully addressed bottlenecks in strategic projects such as the Muara Laboh Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) and the Legok Nangka Waste-to-Energy Solar Power Plant (PLTSa).
“The successful completion of the signing of the Legok Nangka PLTSa project financing agreement serves as further evidence of AZEC’s success in promoting decarbonisation in Indonesia,” stated Spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy Haryo Limanseto.
Accompanying Airlangga at the meeting was Acting Assistant Deputy for Multilateral Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, Cahyadi Yudodahono.