Indonesia postpones D-8 Summit in Jakarta amid Middle East tension
In a press briefing in Jakarta on Friday, the ministry’s Director of Multilateral Cooperation, Tri Tharyat, informed that Foreign Minister Sugiono had sent a letter to the D-8 partner countries postponing the D-8 Summit and all its activities.
“Regarding the determination of the replacement date, we will discuss it further at the appropriate time. Now may not be the right moment given the ongoing developments in the Middle East,” he said.
According to Tharyat, the decision was made after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consulted with the D-8 Secretary General, commissioners, ambassadors of D-8 member countries, and partners in their respective accredited countries.
He also stated that D-8 member countries provided input regarding the arrangement for the D-8 Summit and understood the difficult situation caused by the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Indonesia chairs the D-8 for the 2026-2027 period, under the theme “Navigating Global Shifts: Strengthening Equality, Solidarity, and Cooperation for Shared Prosperity.”
Prior to the postponement, Indonesia was scheduled to host the D-8 Summit on April 15, 2026, preceded by a high-level meeting and a foreign ministers’ meeting.
The D-8 is an economic cooperation organization for developing countries consisting of Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. Azerbaijan became the latest member country to join the D-8 in December 2024.
The plan to conduct the summit was disrupted by the escalating situation in the Middle East, triggered by the US-Israel’s attack on Iran on February 28, killing the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hundreds of schoolgirls, and other high-ranking Iranian officials.
Iran then retaliated by attacking US military assets stationed in Middle Eastern countries and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, which resulted in a surge in global oil prices.
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Translator: Cindy Frishanti, Resinta Sulistiyandari