Indonesia's Foreign Minister urges ASEAN to strengthen resilience amid war impacts
Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Foreign Minister Sugiono is pushing for de-escalation and emphasising the importance for ASEAN to continue strengthening regional coordination and resilience in response to the impacts of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
During a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Friday, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said that Sugiono conveyed this during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting chaired by the Philippine Foreign Minister via video conference on Friday.
Mewengkang stated that the meeting specifically discussed the impacts of the situation and conditions currently occurring in the Middle East region on the ASEAN region.
According to her, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister encouraged cooperation and evacuation efforts as well as consular assistance among ASEAN member state nationals in areas affected by the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
“Indonesia’s Foreign Minister also conveyed various communications that have been carried out by Indonesia’s President with various relevant countries to discuss the importance of de-escalation and how Indonesia can contribute to advancing dialogue and de-escalation in the region,” Mewengkang said.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson also stressed that all ASEAN member states are pushing for de-escalation of the situation in the Middle East and are discussing efforts that can be undertaken to address the impacts of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
According to the asean.org website, the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East was held on Friday via video conference and chaired by Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa P. Lazaro.
The meeting discussed the developing situation in the Middle East and its impact on regional stability, global economic conditions, and energy security. According to the website, the ministers underscored the importance of assisting ASEAN nationals in affected areas as well as strengthening ongoing ASEAN initiatives to enhance regional energy cooperation and supply chain resilience.