Jusuf Kalla Reminds of Independent and Active Foreign Policy

Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla has reminded that Indonesia’s foreign policy must adhere to independent and active politics (bebas aktif) and refrain from taking sides. Indonesia’s policy must also be grounded in the outcomes of the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung.

Kalla’s statement was made after receiving a visit from several former ambassadors to Indonesia who are members of the Indonesian Council on World Affairs (ICWA) at his residence in South Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March 2026. The meeting discussed the global situation. “We believe that Indonesia’s policy must always adhere to independent and active politics, adhere to non-alignment,” Kalla said.

On the same occasion, Al Busyra Basnur, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Council on World Affairs (ICWA), stated that ICWA reported five points to Kalla. These points concerned developments in the Middle East, a peace board, Israeli attacks supported by the United States against Iran, Indonesia’s diplomatic role in the Middle East, and steps taken by Indonesia.

Specifically regarding Indonesia’s diplomatic role in the Middle East, ICWA believes Indonesia has the potential to host an Emergency Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. “The reason is that Indonesia has experience in peace-related issues,” he said.

ICWA also views the United Nations as the only reliable multilateral organisation. ICWA hopes that the UN can bring Palestine forward as an independent and sovereign state.

The former ambassadors and senior diplomats who visited Kalla at his South Jakarta residence on Thursday, 12 March 2026, included: former Indonesian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Makarim Wibisono; former Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia Nazaruddin Nasution; former Indonesian Ambassador to China and Australia Imron Cotan; former Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Hamzah Thayeb; and former Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria and Albania Bunyan Saptomo.

Also present were former Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt and Djibouti Lutfi Rauf; former Indonesian Ambassador to Spain Wieke Adiyatwidi Adiwoso; former Indonesian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the African Union Al Busyra Basnur; and former Indonesian Ambassador to Kenya Hery Saripudin. International relations expert Dinna Prapto Raharja was also in attendance.