Ministry Responds to Reports That Israel is Blocking Indonesia from Joining OECD

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to reports that Israel is allegedly preventing the country's efforts to become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). As a member state, Israel is said to have objections over Indonesia joining.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said that discussions over OECD membership are completely private among member states. Indonesia, a non-member, was not involved in the discussion.

"Indonesia also does not see any connection between Indonesia's consistent stance in supporting Palestine so far and Indonesia's membership in the OECD," Iqbal said at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, February 5.

On February 4, Nikkei Asia cited diplomatic sources in reporting that Israel objected to starting Indonesia's accession process at a meeting of OECD ambassadors. Israel apparently is not necessarily opposed to Indonesia's membership, but it is said to have cited the situation in the Middle East and the lack of diplomatic relations as reasons.

Since the OECD requires unanimity among member states to make decisions, it cannot begin the accession process without Israel's consent. Meanwhile, Indonesia has been one of the largest voices that consistently condemns Israel's violence against Gaza, Indonesia also does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Indonesian government has made a number of efforts to join the organization often dubbed the "club of developed countries". Indonesia has even formed a national committee to support the process of its accession to become a member of the OECD, as Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani mentioned in October 2023 after attending the OECD Council meeting at the OECD Headquarters in Paris that month, which included a session on "Update on Indonesia's Request to Start the OECD Accession Process".

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has been trying to gather support from OECD member countries for Indonesia's candidacy since last year. In recent weeks, she has met Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot in The Hague, then met ASEAN and EU leaders in a ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

NABIILA AZZAHRA A. | YOHANES MAHARSO JOHARSOYO

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