Indonesia calls for restraint, offers support for global peace efforts
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono speaks flanked by Russia's Foreign Minister as they deliver a joint press conference following their meeting in Moscow on June 17, 2025. (Photo by YURI KOCHETKOV/ POOL/ AFP)
JAKARTA: Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono (pic) has called for restraint amid escalating global tensions and reaffirmed Jakarta's readiness to support international peace efforts.
Speaking alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a joint press conference in Moscow on Tuesday (June 17), Sugiono stressed the importance of diplomacy in resolving disputes.
"We agreed that any escalation must be stopped and that disputes should be brought to the negotiation table,' he said, in remarks released by Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
His comments followed Lavrov's remarks on tensions in the Middle East and came as part of broader talks on regional and global issues, including cooperation under Brics and Asean frameworks.
Sugiono said Indonesia was prepared to contribute to peacebuilding efforts and mediate where needed.
"I also offer Indonesia's assistance in bridging communication gaps and differences, and in helping to reduce tensions both regionally and globally, so that we can contribute to a peaceful environment in various parts of the world,' he added.
The two ministers pledged to deepen cooperation across key sectors, including politics and security, trade and investment, and food and energy security.
They also agreed to upgrade ties to a Strategic Partnership.
They welcomed closer official contacts between the two countries, saying these had led to new cooperation initiatives, including in education and library programmes.
Sugiono's visit precedes President Prabowo Subianto's June 19 to 20 trip to meet President Vladimir Putin and attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The visit also marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Russia, established in February 1950. _ Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
29 minutes ago
- Barnama
TASS Elected Oana Chair For Next Three Years
ST. PETERSBURG, June 20 (Bernama-TASS) -- Russian state news agency TASS has been unanimously elected as chair of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) until 2028. The decision was made during the plenary meeting of the 19th OANA General Assembly held in St. Petersburg, TASS news agency reported. TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov was also elected president of OANA for the duration of the chairmanship, while TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman will serve as the organisation's secretary-general.
Barnama
41 minutes ago
- Barnama
PDRM's Terrorism Response Garners Global Recognition
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysia Police's (PDRM) capability in tackling terrorism threats has not only been recognised at the regional level but also by global powers such as the United States, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He said this was evident in the trust placed by the US in PDRM's expertise to carry out the rehabilitation of two Malaysian detainees previously held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 'This shows that in this particular case, the PDRM's Special Branch possesses expertise and competence that convinced a major power like the United States. 'It means we can stand as equals in efforts to address terrorism threats so they do not pose a danger within our own country,' he said during the handover ceremony of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) post at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here today. Media reports previously stated that the US had repatriated two Malaysian citizens in December 2024, after they had been detained at Guantanamo Bay for 18 years. The two individuals involved, Mohammed Farik Amin, 49, and Mohammed Nazir Lep, 48, are currently undergoing a comprehensive rehabilitation process that includes social support services, welfare assistance, and health screening before being reunited with their families. Saifuddin said it was crucial for the country to have a capable IGP, such as the 14th IGP Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, who played a key role in the repatriation of the two men. He praised Razarudin's composure when engaging with various US agencies, including the CIA and FBI, in resolving the matter. Meanwhile, Saifuddin stressed that the appointment of an IGP was not an award but a responsibility and burden that must be shouldered with full accountability.
New Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
UK MPs vote in favour of assisted dying law in historic step
LONDON: Britain took a historic step towards allowing euthanasia on Friday when MPs backed contentious legislation that would introduce assisted dying for terminally ill people. Lawmakers in the lower House of Commons voted 314 in favour to 291 to send the proposal to the upper House of Lords for further scrutiny following four hours of emotional debate. The outcome sparked celebrations among supporters gathered outside parliament who say legalised euthanasia will give people with an incurable illness dignity and choice at the end of their lives. But opponents attending a neighbouring counter-protest said they feared vulnerable people could be coerced into dying and urged lawmakers to focus on improving palliative care instead. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow assisted suicide in England and Wales for adults who have been given less than six months to live. They would have to be able to administer the life-ending substance themselves, and any patient's wish to die would have to be signed off by two doctors and a panel of experts. A change in the law would see Britain emulate several other countries in Europe and elsewhere that allow some form of assisted dying, including Belgium and the Netherlands. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who proposed the legislation, told Friday's so-called third reading debate that a law change would "offer a compassionate and safe choice" for terminally ill people. She said maintaining the status quo would mean more "heartbreaking stories" of "pain and trauma, suicide attempts, PTSD, lonely trips to Switzerland, (and) police investigations." But Vicky Foxcroft, also of Labour, said the proposal did not include adequate safeguards for disabled people. "We have to protect those people who are susceptible to coercion, who already feel like society doesn't value them, who often feel like a burden to the state, society and their family," she pleaded. Outside parliament, protesters waved placards with slogans including "Let us choose" and "Don't make doctors killers." David Walker, 82, said he supported changing the law because he saw his wife of 60 years suffer for three years at the end of her life. "That's why I'm here, because I can't help her anymore, but I can help other people who are going through the same thing, because if you have no quality of life, you have nothing," he told AFP. But Elizabeth Burden, a 52-year-old doctor, said she feared the legislation would open a "slippery slope" where those eligible for assisted dying expands. "Once we allow this, everything will slip down because dementia patients, all patients... are vulnerable," she told AFP. MPs backed the proposed legislation by 330 to 275 votes at an initial vote in parliament last November. Since then, the bill has undergone several changes, including applying a ban on adverts for assisted dying and allowing all health workers to opt out of helping someone end their life. MPs in the 650-seat parliament also added a safeguard which would prevent a person being eligible "solely as a result of voluntarily stopping eating or drinking," ruling out people with anorexia. Britain's medical community and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's top ministerial team are split on the proposed law change. His health and justice secretaries publicly oppose it. But in a YouGov poll of 2,003 adults, surveyed last month and published Thursday, 73 per cent of respondents backed an assisted dying law. MPs had backed an earlier version of the proposed legislation by 330 to 275 votes at an initial vote in parliament last November, before parliament introduced the changes. The House of Lords now needs to approve the legislation before the end of the current parliamentary year, likely in the autumn, or the bill will fail. If it passes and receives royal assent, it would still be four years before an assisted dying service was implemented. A government impact assessment published this month estimated that approximately 160 to 640 assisted deaths could take place in the first year, rising to a possible 4,500 in a decade. Assisted suicide currently carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Separate legislation is going through the devolved Scottish parliament. At the end of March, the Isle of Man became the first British territory to pass an assisted dying bill.
