Indonesia's Foreign Minister prioritizes citizen protection and economic diplomacy

Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir has outlined a diplomatic strategy focused on national resilience and direct benefits for citizens. Following his handover of duties from Sugiono, Nasir emphasized that diplomacy must reach the “dining table,” meaning international cooperation should tangibly impact food, energy, trade, and investment.

A key priority is the protection of Indonesian citizens abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported resolving approximately 124,000 cases involving Indonesian nationals between 2024 and September 2026. To maintain this, the ministry plans to accelerate crisis response and integrate digital services.

On the economic and strategic front, Indonesia is pursuing several bilateral collaborations:

• Food Security: Optimizing rice production through cooperation with Japan and South Korea, and developing dairy cattle farming with Vietnam. • Energy and Technology: Exploring thorium and geothermal power plants with Japan, and building an electric vehicle battery ecosystem with investment from China. • Trade: Finalizing substantive negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union.

Nasir affirmed that Indonesia will maintain its “free and active” foreign policy, acting as a bridge-builder in global conflicts while prioritizing national interests and the strategic agenda of President Prabowo Subianto.