Foreign Minister Sugiono asked East Asia Summit (EAS) countries to take a stronger stance in upholding humanity and international principles amid rising geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty.

Addressing the 15th EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Sugiono emphasized the need for the forum to act with “moral clarity and strategic purpose,” particularly in light of increasing threats of open conflict and nuclear escalation.

“The EAS must serve as our shared moral conscience,” he said as quoted in a statement on Friday, July 11, 2025. “The ongoing genocide in Palestine is a clear reminder of what happens when fundamental principles are ignored.”

He strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrike that killed Dr. Marwan Al Sultan, Director of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, and his family.

“There is no justification − none − for targeting medical personnel and humanitarian facilities,” he said, calling for a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.

Sugiono stressed that Indonesia’s position was not about “choosing sides,” but about defending universal values of humanity and justice. His statement comes as the Middle East crisis and rising great-power tensions in the Indo-Pacific continue to dominate regional diplomatic discussions.

The Indonesian top diplomat also called on EAS countries to uphold international law, including the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity must remain absolute and non-negotiable,” he said, adding that the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), and the Bali Principles must guide regional engagement.

Highlighting economic uncertainties, Sugiono referenced the latest IMF World Economic Outlook, which projects global growth to slow to 2.8 percent this year due to rising policy unpredictability and trade tensions. He argued that the Indo-Pacific should not be viewed solely through a political-security lens, but as “a sea of opportunity” for inclusive and sustainable development.

“We must nurture the habit of cooperation,” he added, calling for strengthened collaboration in maritime security, energy resilience, and economic integration, in alignment with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the EAS, Sugiono concluded with a call to revitalize the forum’s institutional mechanisms, including enhancing the role of EAS Ambassadors. “Let us do everything through optimism, to consolidate trust and build an Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, open, and inclusive,” he said.