Jakarta. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Tuesday dismissed rumors suggesting her resignation from the position she has held since the beginning of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's first term.

When questioned by reporters about the speculations, she responded with a counter-question: “Do you buy that?”

Accompanying the president in a meeting with her Malaysian counterpart, Mohamad Hasan, at the State Palace, Retno stressed that the cabinet remains unified and continues its regular operations.

“Considering my intensity and commitment to work, I think I need to ask if you believe the credibility of such rumors,” she said.

Retno, 61, has become one of the president’s most trusted aides in Indonesia's intensified global diplomacy and cooperation efforts under the current government.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she played a pivotal role in securing vaccine donations and medical supplies from various countries and multilateral organizations. Additionally, she facilitated collaborations for joint vaccine production with foreign manufacturers.

In her tenth year as the country’s top diplomat, Retno, Indonesia’s first female foreign minister, has also ensured the nation's success as the rotating chair of the G20 and ASEAN, along with a leadership role in the UN Security Council.

Speculations about Retno's potential resignation emerged last month when senior economist Faisal Basri suggested that she was among "many cabinet members" considering resignation due to "discomfort" with the president's stance on the upcoming presidential election.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono were among the cabinet members who would tender their resignation, according to Faisal.

Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is the running mate of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, and Faisal argued that several cabinet members were uneasy with the president’s perceived lack of impartiality in the election.

However, several other ministers have dismissed Faisal’s statement as baseless.

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