On the Middle East, Prabowo says Indonesia must be ready to face any eventuality

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto stressed that Indonesia must be ready to face any eventuality, following developments in the Middle East conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Foreign Minister Sugiono said the directive was conveyed by President Prabowo during a discussion and national solidarity gathering that was also attended by several former presidents and vice presidents, former foreign ministers, and the general chairs of political parties at the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday night, 3 March. ‘Earlier, His Excellency the President said that whatever may happen, we must be ready to face all possibilities,’ Sugiono said in a press briefing after the meeting at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday night, 3 March. Amid the rising escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, Sugiono said he has ordered the Indonesian ambassador in Tehran to take immediate evacuation steps should there be Indonesian citizens who wish to be repatriated. He said not all Indonesians in the affected area expressed a desire to be evacuated. However, there are some Indonesians in Iran who are willing to be evacuated, so the repatriation process will be conducted in stages. Regarding diplomatic efforts, Sugiono said he has been in contact with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In that conversation, he conveyed that Indonesia regrets the failure of talks that led to the escalation of the conflict in the region. Indonesia, he said, also reiterates the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a country and the importance of returning to the negotiating table to ease tensions. In addition, Sugiono conveyed President Prabowo’s willingness to serve as a mediator to cool and reduce escalation in the region. Earlier, the President invited several figures to the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Tuesday night to exchange views on various issues, including geopolitics. Attendees included former Presidents and Vice Presidents: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President Joko Widodo, Vice Presidents Jusuf Kalla (10th and 12th), Boediono (11th), and Ma’ruf Amin (13th). Meanwhile, the general chairs of political parties present included PAN’s Zulkifli Hasan, NasDem’s Surya Paloh, Demokrat’s Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, PKB’s Muhaimin Iskandar, PKS’s Al Muzammil Yusuf, and Golkar’s Bahlil Lahadalia. Also present were several former Foreign Ministers such as Alwi Shihab, Hasan Wirajuda and Marty Natalegawa, alongside the Red and White Cabinet. The meeting lasted about 3.5 hours, starting at 19:30 WIB and concluding at around 23:00 WIB.