{
  "id": 18325963,
  "title": "Indonesia says diplomacy with Singapore ‘must not stop’ amid bilateral tensions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/indonesia-says-diplomacy-with-singapore-must-not-stop-amid-bilateral",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T13:30:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Independent Singapore",
    "slug": "the-independent-singapore",
    "url": "https://theindependent.sg/indonesia-says-diplomacy-with-singapore-must-not-stop-amid-bilateral-tensions"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jakarta: Amidst the recent tensions between Indonesia and Singapore linked to this year's severe transboundary haze, diplomatic channels remain open, according to a senior Indonesian diplomat quoted by the Jakarta Globe on November 4. The strained relationship comes as the 49th ASEAN Summit is set to occur on November 16 to 18 in the Philippines, drawing over 10,000 foreign delegates and leaders, including United States President Donald Trump. Director-General for ASEAN Cooperation at Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, Ina Hagniningtyas Krisnamurthi, emphasized that diplomatic meetings are ongoing and urged that diplomacy must not stop, despite differing domestic policies among the 11 nations in the regional bloc. She further stressed that while their mindsets and developmental stages differ, diplomacy requires continuous dialogue.\n\nThe haze, the worst since 1995, has caused unhealthy levels of air pollution in Singapore, prompting the city-state to issue prevention notices to 10 entities connected to the forest and peat wood fires responsible for the haze. Singapore has also pledged to use all legal and regulatory powers to deter future violations by companies and recently introduced amendments to strengthen legislation. In response, Indonesia announced a cut in natural gas exports to Singapore starting October 24 to meet domestic electricity needs. The country was responsible for up to a quarter of Singapore's total natural gas supply, delivering 3.22 million tonnes to the city-state in 2025. Singapore's contracts with Indonesia for natural gas imports are set to expire by the end of 2028.\n\nFormer Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi's inflammatory remarks have further exacerbated the situation. Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, visited Jakarta on October 27 after talks between the two countries, during which they agreed to form a joint task force to investigate companies linked to the fires causing the haze. Dr Balakrishnan stressed that Singapore has full confidence in Indonesia's future and emphasized the interconnectedness of their futures, stating that Singapore's success depends on a prosperous, stable, and peaceful Indonesia. Singapore, taking over as ASEAN chair next year, has also announced plans to establish a haze center and address its root causes as part of its efforts with member countries.",
  "summary": "JAKARTA: Amid the recent troubles between Indonesia and Singapore due to this year’s severe transboundary haze and Indonesia’s decision to cut gas exports to Singapore, diplomacy is ongoing, the Jakarta Globe quoted a senior Indonesian diplomat as saying on Wednesday (Nov 4). The timing of the difficulty between the two nations is noteworthy, given that the 49th ASEAN Summit is scheduled to take…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}