JakartaPost-Oct 28, 2026
Indonesia has pledged to continue cooperating with Singapore despite differences amid heightened tensions over forest and peatland fires that have created haze blanketing the country and its neighbors. The commitment came during Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s visit to Jakarta on Tuesday, where he held more than two hours of talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Arrmanatha Nasir, following several days of public sparring between the two countries’ top officials. In a joint statement after their talk, Arrmanatha underscored Jakarta’s “good neighbor” foreign policy, saying it entailed mutual responsibility and respect, while extending resilience beyond national borders to the wider region. Singapore is not only Indonesia’s neighbor, but the two are “partners in a shared future”, Arrmanatha went on to say, and Jakarta remains committed to resolving any issues. He also expressed support for Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship next year. “What matters is not that we differ, but how we resolve our differences constructively, respectfully and openly.” Balakrishnan stressed the importance of mutual understanding and a commitment to resolving differences, while expressing Singapore’s confidence in Indonesia’s future. Speaking in Malay, Balakrishnan said: “Our relationship is built on a foundation of trust, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation.” “Naturally, as neighbors, we may occasionally have differing opinions,” the Singaporean top diplomat said. “What matters most, however, is how we understand these differences and overcome challenges together.” In a bid to sustain cooperation despite their differences, the two diplomats also announced plans for a joint task force to address businesses’ roles in Indonesia’s forest fire crisis, which has emerged as a diplomatic irritant between the neighbors in recent months. While stressing the fires’ first victims are Indonesian, Arrmanatha said the task force would focus on information sharing, financial intelligence and cross-border evidence gathering. Future cooperation may include asset recovery. A hotline on the ministerial and senior official levels will also be established to ease communication.
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