Jakarta - Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said he has called Iranian Foreign Minister told Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono in Jakarta on Tuesday, 12 May 2026 that he had a telephone communication with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, inviting him to visit Southeast Asia region.
FM Balakrishnan held bilateral meeting with FM Sugiono at Indonesian Foreign Ministry Jakarta on Tuesday. During their discussion, current global geopolitical was among topics that were discussed.
"The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the impact on energy supplies to Asia and including Southeast Asia, the inflationary impact of higher energy prices and also some very fundamental challenges to the international rules-based system," FM Balakrishnan explained.
"In fact, I was having a conversation with the Iranian Foreign Minister last night and I took the opportunity to invite him to our region and to see how in our region, in the midst of great diversity but also great potential for development," he added.
Indonesia and Singapore are two members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During 48th ASEAN Summit on 7 and 8 of May 2026 in Cebu, Philippines, leaders of the regional bloc have agreed to ensuring regional energy security and stabilizing food security due to global uncertainties as the impact of war in West Asia region, starting with United States and Israel joint military attacks against Iran since 28 February 2026 and Iran's counter-attacks to Israel and Gulf countries - United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman - and Jordan as allies of U.S..
The leaders of ASEAN also have discussed on energy stockpile in ASEAN, therefore some plans have been set, including ASEAN Power Grid, energy mix, and renewable energy..
During Indonesia-Singaore FMs discussion, energy was one of the topics discussed that.
Balakrishnan praised Indonesia regarding energy issue, seeing the country as a super power in energy field.***
