Israel has attempted to block Indonesia’s membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by setting a specific condition that requires Indonesia to recognize it as a state in return to Indonesia’s ascension to full membership of the organization.
Deputy for International Economic Cooperation Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, Edi Prio Pambudi, said that Israel is one of the countries opposing Indonesia’s OECD membership due to this recognition requirement.
However, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MOFA) has advised not to worry too much about Israel’s position.
While new full members of the OECD require approval from all current members, including Israel, MOFA spokesperson Lalu Muhamad Iqbal indicated that the final decision on Indonesia’s candidacy is still far off.
Indonesia received the OECD Accession Roadmap in early May and will conduct a self-assessment to align its national systems and regulations with OECD membership requirements.
This process, including drafting an initial memorandum, is expected to take three to five years, during which international conditions could change significantly.
Iqbal expressed hope that within the next five years, the Israel-Palestine conflict might be resolved, potentially removing Israel’s incentive to block Indonesia’s membership.
He reaffirmed Indonesia’s steadfast support for Palestinian independence within the two-state solution framework and dismissed any speculation about normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel to gain OECD membership.
Currently, Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to have the status of an OECD accession country.
Membership in the OECD is expected to positively impact Indonesia’s economy by boosting investment from OECD countries and increasing its GDP.
