Indonesian minister warns he ‘will not hesitate to stop energy exports to countries that disrespect Indonesia’

INDONESIA: Indonesia could stop exporting energy to countries it believes fail to respect the nation, Indonesian Minister Bahlil Lahadalia warned on Oct 22.

Mr Bahlil, Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition, said Jakarta would review existing energy export contracts and consider stopping supplies to countries that didn’t treat Indonesia with respect.

The minister’s remarks were made at an event marking the commissioning of gas production facilities in Jakarta. He also serves as Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Antara and Kompas reported (Oct 22).

Mr Bahlil said disagreements between countries should be settled through proper discussion when both sides are willing to engage respectfully. He criticised countries that approached Indonesia when they needed something but failed to resolve other disputes through dialogue.

Mr Bahlil didn’t identify any country as the target of his warning. He also stressed Indonesia’s sovereignty, which he said had been secured through a long struggle.

The warning was firm, but it didn’t amount to an announcement that any existing export contract had been cancelled.

Despite his warning, Mr Bahlil said Jakarta remained willing to establish energy export agreements with countries that respected Indonesia and treated it as an equal.

The minister further said Indonesia could even offer contracts to countries that had no existing agreements with Jakarta, provided relations were based on mutual respect.

Indonesia is keeping the door open to energy trade, while signalling that diplomatic relations and national interests will matter in its decisions.

Mr Bahlil’s latest remarks followed comments on Oct 21, when he raised the possibility of not renewing gas export contracts with neighbouring countries.

Mr Bahlil linked that possibility to Indonesia’s need to meet domestic demand first. His comments echoed President Prabowo Subianto’s call for the country to protect its natural resources and prioritise national interests.

Neither statement named a specific country or detailed the disputes behind the warnings.

Indonesia’s message is that energy partnerships must work both ways. Keeping trade stable will require countries to address disagreements through dialogue, while respecting each other’s sovereignty and domestic needs.

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong also stated in Parliament that Indonesia was one of Singapore’s main sources of natural gas imports and that existing contracts to import gas from Indonesia were due to expire at the end of 2028.