Singapore and Indonesia pledge high-level cooperation on energy, haze and bilateral issues
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Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said recent talks between Singapore’s prime minister and Indonesia’s president reaffirmed a political commitment to resolve disputes over gas supplies, electricity exports and trans-boundary haze, underscoring the need for practical cooperation rather than performative diplomacy.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters in Jakarta on Oct. 28 that recent high-level communication between Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto established a political commitment to take necessary actions on a range of bilateral issues. He said the discussions were “good, honest and sincere” and produced constructive approaches, some of which are already being implemented, though he declined to share details. The emphasis, he suggested, was on turning diplomatic promises into material outcomes for ordinary people, not simply staging symbolic handshakes.
Balakrishnan emphasized that both sides must now implement and execute the agreed plans, adding that “cool heads” are needed to manage inevitable differences in priorities and approaches. He highlighted ongoing challenges such as gas supply cuts, cross-border electricity export negotiations and the persistent haze caused by forest and land fires in Indonesia, showing how climate-linked and corporate failures continue to impose costs across borders.
During his three-day visit, Balakrishnan met Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, who took office on Oct. 1, and the two ministers agreed to set up a joint task force and a senior-level hotline to hold companies accountable for fires that generate trans-boundary haze. Balakrishnan noted that the haze problem has lasted almost three decades and called for urgent solutions, reflecting how long communities have been forced to live with avoidable pollution and weak enforcement.
On the energy front, Balakrishnan said Singapore and Indonesia share a commitment to honour existing contracts, citing statements from Prime Minister Wong, Energy Minister Tan See Leng and Indonesian officials. He pointed out that Indonesia’s recent reduction of natural-gas exports – about 8 % of its piped supplies – is intended to meet domestic electricity needs, while Singapore has sufficient gas supplies and can increase LNG imports if required. Existing gas contracts are set to expire at the end of 2028, and the talks revealed how energy security remains bound up with national planning, social needs and the pressure to balance market logic with public interest.
Balakrishnan also mentioned Singapore’s broader strategy to secure essential supplies, including diversification of energy sources, development of LNG terminals and exploration of strategic oil storage with Saudi Arabia. He said Indonesia is reviewing plans to export low-carbon electricity to Singapore, with pricing negotiations still pending, a reminder that even transition-era cooperation is constrained by uneven bargaining power and unresolved cost questions.
The two countries will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2027, when Singapore assumes the ASEAN chairmanship. Indonesia pledged support for Singapore’s chairmanship, and both sides aim to deepen regional integration and resilience against supply disruptions, ideally in ways that prioritize stability, accountability and shared welfare over narrow elite interests.