Bahlil's Energy Diplomacy in Japan to Achieve Indonesia's Energy Self-Sufficiency
The government continues to strengthen the position of Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) sector on the global stage to maintain national energy resilience while promoting the realisation of energy self-sufficiency.
This is being pursued by Minister of ESDM Bahlil Lahadalia through energy diplomacy during his working visit to Tokyo, Japan, last weekend.
On that occasion, Bahlil actively utilised the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum (IPEM) as well as several bilateral meetings with partner countries to promote concrete and mutually beneficial cooperation.
“In the midst of the current global energy supply uncertainties, we need to strengthen collaborations that lift each other up rather than pulling each other down,” Bahlil stated before the IPEM forum delegates in Tokyo, quoted from an official statement on Wednesday (18/3/2026).
Bahlil’s energy diplomacy is manifested through several strategic agreements. Together with the host country, Japan, Indonesia signed cooperation in the fields of critical minerals and nuclear energy, aimed at strengthening future energy supply chains while supporting the development of future energy technologies in the Asia-Pacific region.
One of the main outcomes of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in two strategic areas: critical minerals and nuclear energy. This cooperation is expected to strengthen a more integrated, resilient, and sustainable energy system.
“I very much welcome the memorandum we signed today, especially in the field of critical minerals. We are very open; we would be delighted to invite the Japanese government and Japanese business friends to jointly manage our critical minerals in Indonesia,” Bahlil revealed.
In the ASEAN region, Indonesia also recorded significant progress in discussions on energy cooperation with Singapore. Meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and energy overseer Tan See Leng, Bahlil finalised plans to develop the Riau Islands into a green technology industrial hub.
“I have received a report that the industrial zone is almost finalised. We will build it in the Riau Islands (Kepri) region. And I am currently clearing it up. Once that’s done, I think this is one of the advancements in the preparations,” he said during the meeting.
Not only with Singapore, but with Brunei’s Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office, Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Mohamad Azmi Bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Bahlil discussed concrete steps for energy cooperation, from strengthening oil supply resilience to opportunities for collaboration in developing new renewable energy (EBT).
Strengthening cooperation with the United States (US), at the IPEM forum, Bahlil and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright officially announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning Energy Cooperation between Indonesia’s Ministry of ESDM and the US Department of Energy.
This MoU serves as an umbrella for cooperation between Indonesia and the US in the ESDM sector, as a renewal of the agreement with the same title signed on 27 October 2015.
The scope of cooperation in this MoU covers various strategic sectors, including hydrocarbons, electricity and power grids, critical materials and minerals, geothermal and bioenergy, energy and mining sector resilience and reliability, as well as cutting-edge technologies including enhanced oil recovery (EOR), energy storage, and carbon capture and utilisation.
Through an active and national interest-based diplomatic approach, Indonesia affirms its role as a strategic partner to friendly countries in maintaining global energy stability, while positioning itself as a centre for clean energy growth and green industry.