JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono encourages increased cooperation and coordination among ASEAN countries, in order to anticipate the impact of escalation in the Middle East Region caused by the conflict between Iran and the United States and Iran which broke out late last month.
This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Sugiono when he attended the virtual "Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on The Situation In The Middle East" on Friday, led by the Foreign Minister of the Philippines, Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, as the ASEAN Chair.
Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, said, "the meeting discussed the current situation and conditions in the Middle East, especially its impact on the ASEAN region, including the safety of ASEAN citizens, as well as the potential economic impact, especially energy supply."
"The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed a number of things in the meeting, encouraging de-escalation and stressing the importance of ASEAN to continue to strengthen coordination and regional resilience in the face of the impact of this crisis," explained Yvonne in a press statement at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friday (13/3).
"(The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs) also encourages cooperation (handling) ASEAN citizens who are affected by the conflict, (including) evacuation and consular assistance," said Yvonne.
It is known that tensions have increased in the Middle East, following the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, which Tehran said killed more than 1,300 people, including Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader, and more than 150 students.
Since then, Iran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting US military assets.
Tehran has also effectively tightened the Strait of Hormuz since March 1. This narrow waterway transports around 20 million barrels of oil per day and about 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas trade.
Yvonne added that during the virtual meeting, the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs also conveyed various communications made by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, including the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs with various countries related to discussing the importance of de-escalation and how Indonesia can contribute to advancing dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
"In general, all ASEAN countries encourage de-escalation and discuss efforts that can be made regarding the impact on the ASEAN region if escalation continues to increase," he said.
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