ASEAN Forges Oil Mutual Assistance Agreement Amid Disruptions, Will Indonesia Join?

JAKARTA - ASEAN countries have created an agreement for mutual assistance in oil supplies in the event of global instability, named the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA). Will Indonesia participate? According to ANTARA on Tuesday (12/5/2026), Indonesia states that the APSA ratification process is still ongoing at the domestic level in each ASEAN country. “In the context of Indonesia, the technical developments of the ratification process are handled by the focal point for this cooperation, namely the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM),” said spokesperson for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Vahd Nabyl A Mulachela, to ANTARA in Jakarta today. Through this agreement, he continued, ASEAN countries have a framework to assist each other voluntarily and based on commercial mechanisms if there are disruptions in energy supplies in the region. Yvonne stated that in principle, APSA allows ASEAN member countries to decide to request or provide assistance voluntarily and on a commercial basis according to each member’s capabilities. “So, the discussion of APSA is not intended to permanently decide that a certain country is a contributor or recipient, but rather to strengthen preparedness to face potential energy supply disruptions,” explained Yvonne. Previously, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn assured that the APSA ratification process would be completed before the 49th ASEAN Summit in November this year. “Officials from the countries have received instructions from their leaders that the APSA ratification process must be accelerated by all member countries,” said Kao in a press conference regarding the results of the 48th ASEAN Summit on 11 May 2026. Meanwhile, on 11 May 2026, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated that he offered Indonesia as the location for building an oil storage hub for countries in Southeast Asia. “Even without that idea (building the ASEAN storage hub), Indonesia has already been building oil storage. That idea (ASEAN storage hub) emerged when Indonesia was ready to implement it,” said Bahlil. Bahlil said that to realise this proposal, Indonesia will collaborate with Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. Through the construction of this storage hub, Bahlil conveyed that ASEAN will have substantial energy reserves to supply countries in Southeast Asia.