Minister Warns Middle East Conflict Could Affect Indonesian Economy
- ANTARA
Jakarta, VIVA – The conflict in the Middle East is intensifying, involving Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iran, and it could potentially impact Indonesia.
Rosan Roeslani, Minister of Investment and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), acknowledged that the escalating conflict in the Middle East would affect Indonesia.
“This geopolitical situation will definitely have an impact because of China, the US, and the Middle East,” Minister Roeslani said on Wednesday (Oct 9).
Menteri Investasi dan Kepala Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM), Rosan Roeslani
- VIVA.co.id/Anisa Aulia
However, the minister highlighted that not all conflicts have a negative impact.
The minister gave an example of the conflict between the United States and China, which has actually benefited ASEAN.
“In fact, the conflict between the US and China has led to significant factory relocations from China. ASEAN has always been a prime choice, but we need to be more proactive because many investments are flowing into neighboring countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand,” he explained.
On the other hand, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that a soft approach through dialogue could be a solution to the escalating Middle East conflict.
“Actually, if all countries adopt soft approaches—dialogue, meetings, and good communication—I think the incidents in Palestine, Gaza, and Lebanon can be avoided,” the president said on a separate occasion.
He emphasized that dialogue is one way to ease the conflict. Therefore, President Jokowi urged all parties to exercise restraint to prevent the conflict from escalating.
“I believe dialogue is the only way to resolve the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, between Israel and Palestine, Israel and Hezbollah, and Iran and Israel. These issues should be settled at the negotiating table, and everyone must refrain from escalating the situation,” he concluded.
