Retno Marsudi: There's no intention of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel
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4 May 2024 14:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi explains the Gaza war and the Iran-Israel conflict with its impact on Indonesia’s economy.
The conflicts in the Middle East are intensifying. Amid the ongoing Gaza war that shows no sign of letting up, a new conflict has broken out. On April 14, Iran launched 300 drones and missiles toward Israel in retaliation against Israel’s airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard generals.
Many countries, including Indonesia, are concerned about the economic repercussions of this latest conflict. Crude oil prices are predicted to soar if there is turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz, which is the world’s most important oil shipping route. “Oil price surges will have a huge impact on the economy,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi.
To help prevent the conflict from escalating, Retno reached out to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as well as the foreign ministers of Israel’s allied countries. She urged all parties to exercise restraint and reminded them not to overlook the fate of Palestinians caught in the Hamas-Israel war.
Retno Marsudi met with Tempo for an interview at her office at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Central Jakarta on Thursday, April 18. She explained the plan to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. “The news was deliberately circulated by certain parties because Indonesia’s position is highly strategic,” said the diplomat who hails from Semarang, Central Java.
How is the latest condition in the Middle East following the recent Iran-Israel conflict?
The situation is very fluid. We have to look back at the series of events since April 1, when Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. A diplomatic facility is a territory that every nation must respect. The tension between the two countries has been going on for a long time, but this is the first time they have had direct contact. Previously, they engaged in a proxy war.
