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View all search resultsIndonesia makes turn toward defense diplomacy
Diplomacy and defense are ‘inseparable’, says Foreign Minister Sugiono in his annual address, highlighting the government’s foreign policy priority in expanding defense cooperation with key partners.
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Foreign Minister Sugiono delivers his speech during the Foreign Minister's Annual Press Statement (PPTM) in Jakarta on Jan. 14, 2026. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
D
efense diplomacy will be the center of Indonesia’s foreign policy in 2026 as an instrument for safeguarding national interests, Foreign Minister Sugiono has said, with the government expected to roll out a more realistic, resilience-focused foreign policy to navigate the “dangerous gray zone” in global affairs.
Greater emphasis will be placed on expanding Jakarta’s strategic defense partnerships, especially for scoring cooperation assurance and expanded interoperability, the minister added in his annual address in Jakarta on Wednesday.
“In an increasingly unpredictable world, diplomacy and defense are inseparable,” Sugiono asserted in his speech. “When the risk of miscalculation increases and perception becomes a key factor, synergy between foreign and defense policies is a stabilizing instrument.”
He added that stability, in matters of sovereignty and national defense, is not a given and must be actively managed alongside consistent adherence to international law.
Sugiono laid out the country’s priorities in foreign policy to former and active diplomats, foreign representatives and journalists after a notably active diplomatic push last year under President Prabowo Subianto.
The address was rescheduled twice from its initial schedule on Jan. 8, with the Foreign Ministry citing several reasons, including the minister’s work trip to Turkey. In Ankara, Sugiono and Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin held a 2+2 meeting with their Turkish counterparts.
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