Indonesia, Singapore look to deepen ties and partnerships, including with Malaysia
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (left) and Indonesia Foreign Minister Sugiono in Jakarta on May 12, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ridhwan Siregar)
JAKARTA: Indonesia and Singapore want to deepen ties and collaboration as they commemorate 60 years of bilateral relations next year, said the foreign ministers of both countries on Tuesday (May 12).
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who began a three-day visit to Jakarta on Monday, met his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono on Tuesday morning.
Singapore and Indonesia’s bilateral projects, like the Nongsa Digital Park in Batam and the Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java, have continued to flourish, and they see good prospects for further growth, especially in the digital and green economies, Dr Balakrishnan said at a joint press conference with Mr Sugiono after their meeting.
“That is why we are looking for more opportunities to enhance our engagements with the large number of provinces in Indonesia,” he said.
Both sides are also looking for opportunities to work more closely with Malaysia, he said, citing the renewal of the Singapore-Johor-Riau Islands partnership, or SIJORI.
“This is a partnership which I believe can deliver tremendous benefits to all three countries. Within our region, we also hope to see more investments in transport connectivity and digital projects, and to also bring to reality the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Power Grid.”
Mr Sugiono, who goes by one name, said: “These past six decades, I think Indonesia and Singapore have built a very strong partnership defined by strategic trust, mutual benefit, and shared purpose.”
He said they also spoke about the preparation for the upcoming Leaders’ Retreat and reviewed concrete progress across various sectors, such as energy, cross-border activity, trade, energy development, and investment.
“We are hoping to have the largest electricity project, especially (from) sustainable (energy),” Mr Sugiono added.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (right) and Indonesia Foreign Minister Sugiono (left) at the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry in Jakarta on May 12, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ridhwan Siregar)
Dr Balakrishnan also noted Indonesia’s vast energy potential, including in solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power.
“I see Indonesia as a superpower in energy; it is a matter of getting the investments to flow and getting these projects to fruition,” he said.
Indonesia's energy potential and economic development complements Singapore's role as a regional hub for technology and infrastructure financing, he said, adding that Singapore is Indonesia's largest foreign investor and both are among each other's biggest trading partners.
Both countries’ relations are in an “excellent state”, said Dr Balakrishnan. “Singapore and Indonesia have stood by each other in both good times and tough times, whether it was the COVID-19 pandemic, or now with the crisis in the Middle East. We have stood by each other, we have supported each other, and we will get through this crisis together.”
Both countries’ Expanded Framework Agreements came into force in March 2024, covering their collaboration in defence, airspace management, and law enforcement, Dr Balakrishnan noted.
“The fact that we were able to settle these longstanding issues constructively and implement these agreements well is a very good sign of the strength of our bilateral relations,” he added.
GEOPOLITICS AND WAR IN IRAN
The two ministers also spoke about the geopolitical situation, including the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has affected energy supplies to Asia, including Southeast Asia.
Dr Balakrishnan said he spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday night.
“I took the opportunity to invite him to our region to see – in the midst of great diversity and great potential for development – the importance of regional peace, the importance of a rules-based world order, the importance of abiding by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” he said.
That Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have been able to maintain the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as an “open, safe, and vital waterway”, including through the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore formulated pursuant to UNCLOS, could be a “positive model that could apply to other areas in the world”, he said.
“The point here is that the success of Indonesia and the effective cooperation that we have in our region has a major impact on the prospects for ASEAN, but can also serve as a positive example for the rest of the world.”
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (second from left) and Indonesia Foreign Minister Sugiono (third from left) at Gedung Pancasila in Jakarta on May 12, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ridhwan Siregar)
MOUNT DUKONO SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION
Dr Balakrishnan also thanked the more than 150 Indonesian search and rescue personnel who helped recover the bodies of two Singaporeans killed on Mount Dukono in North Maluku on May 8.
They “undertook significant risk to themselves in very difficult circumstances, with a volcano that was still erupting and amidst adverse weather conditions”, he said.
