Indonesia Committed to Strengthening D-8 Cooperation Despite Summit Postponement
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has stated that Indonesia remains committed to strengthening cooperation among D-8 member nations by organising activities to address shared challenges, even though the implementation of the D-8 Summit has been postponed.
According to a written statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Wednesday, this was conveyed by the Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry, Heru H. Subolo, during the Preliminary Discussion of the D-8 Youth Dialogue themed “Navigating Uncertainty, Building Resilience” at Airlangga University, Surabaya. The discussion was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Airlangga University (Unair) and serves as one of the achievements of Indonesia’s D-8 chairmanship for the 2026-2027 period.
Heru expressed his belief that partnerships with non-governmental institutions, prioritising collaboration between government, academia, and experts, will enrich perspectives and provide innovative and inclusive recommendations and solutions. The discussion focused on two of Indonesia’s five priority issues for the D-8 chairmanship: “Energy Resilience in the Midst of Global Uncertainty” and “Food Security in a Time of Crisis”.
The discussion noted that energy and food security arise from a sustainable ecosystem, which includes secure supplies, healthy fiscal space, a just transition, and strong social acceptance. It also highlighted the role of youth as a vital pillar of society in building collective awareness and pioneering concrete, solution-oriented activities.
In relation to this, the Vice Rector of Unair for Research, Innovation, and Community Development, Muhammad Miftahussurur, called for universities to act as catalysts in implementing activity recommendations and driving D-8 missions aimed at solving shared challenges. Meanwhile, the Deputy II for Foreign Policy at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, Muhammad K. Koba, stated that the D-8 possesses a unique character as an economic alliance across the Global South, spanning South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He noted that this character gives the D-8 potential as a middle-power group capable of acting as a balancer amidst great power rivalry, the fragmentation of the global order, and increasing protectionism.