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t the start of 2016, we were already faced by two major challenges: The deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and escalating terrorist attacks around the world.

While these two challenges are not directly linked per se, a peaceful and stable Middle East, including good relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, is essential. It is not only essential to global peace and stability, but it is also important for our collective effort to address radicalism and terrorism.

Indonesia, home to the world'€™s largest Muslim population, has a direct interest in a peaceful and stable Middle East.

Apart for our national economic, social and energy interests, there are also hundreds of thousands of Indonesians living and working in the Middle East. Even more travel to the region for business, tourism and, most importantly, religious pilgrimage.

It was for these reasons that I, as Indonesia'€™s foreign minister and as the special envoy of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, conducted a week-long diplomacy marathon in the Middle East, traveling over 20,000 kilometers.

I delivered President Jokowi'€™s personal message, a message of peace, to King Salman of Saudi Arabia and President Rouhani of Iran, and also visited the UAE and Oman, two important countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to express Indonesia'€™s views and to call on GCC countries to contribute in a positive way to reduce tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

There is no doubt that time is needed for Saudi Arabia and Iran relations to return to what they were, but Indonesia believes that injecting positive energy will help reduce tension and prevent escalation of the conflict.

It will also allow us to keep the focus on fighting the cancer of radicalism and terrorism.

It was this message of peace and injecting of positive energy that Indonesia brought to an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last week. It was also the message that Indonesia conveyed during various bilateral meetings with members of the OIC on the sideline.

The following were Indonesia'€™s key messages in the OIC extraordinary meeting.

No country is immune to radicalism and terrorism.

The recent attack in Pakistan and the act of terror in Jakarta on Jan. 14, claiming the innocent lives of 4 civilians and injuring more than 20, highlight the problem the world is facing today.

In Jakarta the situation was able to be brought back to normal very quickly. Within 3 hours, the situation was under control, thanks to the swift and professional response of the security forces.

Indonesians showed their resilience. They were united against acts of terror using the name of Islam. They were not afraid, as shown in the #wearenotafraid campaign launched by the citizens of Jakarta.

It was clear from the reaction that acts of terror will not reduce the people'€™s support for the government'€™s efforts to combat terrorism.

What happened in Indonesia and other parts of the world is a clear example that the threat of terrorism is real and that no country can be immune from this threat.

This is the challenge that we are facing. It requires the world to be united, and for the Islamic world to be united. We cannot lose our focus on this imminent threat.

We in the Islamic world have the responsibility to promote the true values of Islam. We also need to ensure that the region where most of the Muslim population resides, the Middle East, is peaceful, stable and prosperous, and continue to voice Islam as rakhmatan lil alamin (a blessing to the universe).
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The threat of terrorism is real and that no country can be immune from this threat.

Indonesia called on all IOC members to contribute to ensuring peace and stability in Middle East. This is key to continued global peace and stability, and in our efforts to address radicalism and terrorism.

The recent developments in the region are of deep concern to Indonesia, particularly the deterioration in bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Indonesia has urged Saudi Arabia and Iran to spare no efforts in preventing any possible escalation in the dispute.

As the special envoy of the President of Indonesia, I delivered a personal message of peace from President Jokowi, to Iran and Saudi Arabia. Indonesia also listened to the views of its two good friends on the current situation and the possible ways to reduce tension. As a good friend, Indonesia also indicated its readiness to contribute.

As a strong believer in the power of diplomacy and dialogue, Indonesia fervently hopes that the OIC extraordinary meeting will deliver a message of peace and a peaceful solution to the Saudi Arabia-Iran dispute.

The OIC must encourage diplomacy and dialogue to work between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The OIC must succeed in bringing positive energy to the Middle East, to reduce the trust deficit in the region.

The key to a peaceful and stable Middle East is good relations among countries in the region. To this end, Indonesia underlines the fundamental need to respect territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as respect the principle of non-interference for every country.

While these issues may sound cliché, they are real issues that need to be addressed and continuously respected by all countries in the Middle East.

Indonesia also believes there need to be continuous efforts to strengthen confidence-building measures in the region.

In our view, it would be useful to develop a regional mechanism to allow countries to renew political commitments to the basic principles of good neighborly relations '€” a possible code of conduct.

This may help to avoid reoccurrence of tensions and disputes. It may also provide a mechanism to quickly address possible tensions and disputes in the region.

In addition, an active second-track diplomacy of religious leaders and other stakeholders, undertaking interfaith and intrafaith dialogues, would also strengthen confidence-building measures in the region.

Let us all be united, as brothers and sisters, to show that we can contribute to peace and prosperity for the entire human race.
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The writer is the Indonesian foreign minister.