Indonesian Ambassador: Faith-Based Diplomacy Needed to Complement Conventional Diplomacy

The Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See, Michael Trias Kuncahyono, has stated that faith-based diplomacy needs to complement conventional diplomacy to help resolve conflicts rooted in religious identity. “Secular diplomacy between nations often fails to resolve conflicts rooted in belief. Therefore, a faith-based approach is essential in international diplomacy today,” said Michael Trias Kuncahyono while serving as a keynote speaker at The 10th International Conference on Sustainable Innovation (ICoSI) 2026 at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) on Wednesday. According to Trias, current diplomatic activities are influenced by cultural and religious contexts, in addition to domestic and international political factors. Consequently, conventional diplomacy needs to be complemented by religious-based dialogue. This view stems from his experience as a journalist covering conflicts in the Middle East, including Iraq in 2003. That experience, he said, demonstrated that understanding and religious literacy are just as important as mastery of security and political issues for a diplomat. On the occasion, Trias also shared his experience of discussing diversity in Indonesia with the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. “I told His Holiness that Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands with many religions and diverse ethnicities, yet it can still remain united,” he said. Trias affirmed that Indonesia’s harmonious diversity serves as a strong diplomatic asset in international religious forums. According to him, the faith-based approach is not intended to promote a particular religion, but rather to build a more tolerant world by strengthening mutual trust among religious communities.