Indonesia Calls for All Parties to Prevent Tension in Middle East

Abu Dhabi, MINA – Indonesia has tried to make various efforts to prevent escalation of tension in the Middle East after the United States (US) drone attack that killed Senior Iranian General, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad, Iraq, earlier this month.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia had spoken with the US and Iran at the Security Council level and tried to invite all parties so that the worse escalation did not happen again.

“I had a telephone call on January 8, because at that time the Vietnamese Foreign Minister had just landed in New York. I held a conversation, I repeated the Indonesian spot on the Vietnamese presidency, “Retno told reporters at the Emirate Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE on Sunday night.

Vietnam in January acts as President of the UN Security Council.

Indonesia, Retno hoped that Vietnam would also use its influence as President of the UN Security Council, so that nothing worse could happen.

“So, we have enough to send a message so that a worse escalation does not happen again,” she said.

Regarding whether the issue was discussed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), she explained at a meeting with the UAE Foreign Minister discussing about the issue and principles of both were the same.

“We don’t want the situation, what it’s called, to get worse,” she said.

President Joko Widodo, Retno continued, addressing the issue of tension in the Middle East during a meeting with Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ).

But the discussion was not focused because the focus of discussion at the second meeting was more on economic issues.

Retno stressed all countries worried about the possibility of an open war between the US and Iran. Even Indonesia, whose position is far away, is also worried because war will not benefit anyone.

“The war will have a definite effect on the world economy which is without war even though it has been depressed, kept pressing down,” she said.

For Indonesia, according to Retno, what is very direct is the fate of Indonesian citizens. In Iran, according to data collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of Indonesian citizens there is more than 400. While in Iraq it is more than 800. But it is estimated that the amount is greater than the data.

“Not to mention, we are talking about Indonesian citizens living around the region, which is in total can be millions. So, if the situation cannot be escalated, then it will be mitigated, it will certainly be affected by our citizens, but again to anticipate, ” she said. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)