Jakarta. A senior Indonesian diplomat said Wednesday that diplomacy “must not stop” as Jakarta’s row with Singapore casts a shadow over ASEAN’s upcoming Manila talks.

A bad bout of transboundary haze and gas export cuts have tested Singapore-Indonesia ties. Despite a recent visit by Singapore’s top diplomat Vivian Balakrishnan, the city-state continues to face sharp rhetoric from its neighbor, about two weeks before ASEAN leaders gather in the Philippine capital.

Asked whether the Southeast Asian bloc remains united amid the rift, Ina Hagniningtyas Krisnamurthi — the director-general for ASEAN cooperation at the Foreign Ministry — pointed to the ongoing efforts to iron out the differences.

“Diplomacy is something easy to say, but it requires non-stop dialogue. Minds can be different. Take a look at the various [economic states] of the 11 ASEAN nations. Some are less developed; others are emerging and developing,” Ina told reporters in Jakarta.

“But we are still having our meetings. Diplomacy must not stop. Our domestic policies may differ, but we still have to push for diplomacy.”

Just last week, Balakrishnan traveled to Jakarta to meet President Prabowo Subianto and Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, among others, to cool down tensions. Both governments agreed to set up a joint task force aimed at tracking down the money transfers of companies responsible for the haze.

Balakrishnan left out the specifics when asked by the press how his meeting with Prabowo had gone. However, he said that Prabowo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had communicated to tackle the issues. 

“It sets the political commitment on both sides to do what is necessary. Now we will have to implement those plans [and] execute those commitments,” Balakrishnan said. 

Despite Balakrishnan’s visit, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia kept launching blunt ultimatums, including by threatening to delay Singapore-bound green electricity exports to prioritize domestic needs. He later clarified that the export could still take place as long as it is “at the right price”. Bahlil urged cutting out transit countries like Singapore in natural resource shipments to prevent tax revenue leakage.

A toxic smog from Indonesian forest fires has clouded Singapore’s skies.

Tension further spiked after Former Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi accused Singapore of masterminding index provider MSCI’s downgrade that had caused Jakarta’s stocks to drop.

The friction now revolves around energy security as Indonesia cut 31 billion British thermal units per day (BBTUD) of its pipeline gas exports to Singapore.

Indonesia has defended the reductions by saying that they were far from breaching existing agreements. Balakrishnan said that both governments share a “commitment to the sanctity of contract”.

The palace will announce whether Prabowo will travel to the ASEAN gathering. 

Singapore is set to take over the bloc’s chairmanship for 2027.

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