Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia has warned that the global order is entering a more fragile and dangerous phase, marked by the erosion of international law, deepening geopolitical fragmentation and intensifying competition among major powers.At his annual press statement, Foreign Minister Sugiono described today’s international landscape as a “dangerous gray zone,” where the lines between peace and war are increasingly blurred and cooperation among nations is becoming more transactional and interest-driven.Faced with this uncertain reality, Indonesia is introducing what it calls a “diplomacy of resilience” as a core pillar of its foreign policy, aimed at ensuring national survival while preserving room to maneuver internationally.“And resilience cannot be borrowed. It must be built from within. Because in an uncertain world, only a nation that is strong at home will have leverage abroad,” Sugiono said.He stressed that Indonesia would continue to uphold its constitutionally mandated “free and active” foreign policy, which seeks to safeguard national interests while contributing to global peace and stability.However, Sugiono noted that the implementation of that policy must evolve. Rather than focusing on choosing sides in global rivalries, Indonesia should prioritize strengthening domestic resilience and maintaining the ability to determine its own strategic direction.“For Indonesia, the choice is clear: survival requires strong national resilience, along with the capacity to chart our own course,” he said.That approach, he added, demands both strategy and resilience. Indonesia’s diplomacy must be grounded in preparedness, vigilance and realism, with the ability to absorb pressure, manage risks, adapt to shocks and emerge stronger.Sugiono argued that resilience must be dynamic, as contemporary threats are increasingly complex and overlapping, with crises no longer emerging one at a time but often simultaneously.Foreign policy, he said, has a direct impact on citizens’ daily lives, from rising food prices linked to global supply chains to unequal access to education and technology, as well as the protection of Indonesian nationals overseas.As a result, he said, the direction of a country’s foreign policy reflects the extent to which it is present in protecting and improving the welfare of its people.In the areas of sovereignty, defense and security, Sugiono emphasized that stability cannot be taken for granted and must be actively managed, including through consistent adherence to international law.Clear strategyThe idea of a diplomacy of resilience has drawn mixed responses from analysts, including calls for clearer strategy and sharper definition.The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said Indonesia needs to better articulate how resilience translates into concrete foreign policy choices.“I personally see this as an unclear idea because resilience and survival are different. Resilience has its own power,” said Lina Alexandra, head of CSIS’s Department of International Relations. “Do not just talk about building resilience, but also how to do it and what the strategy is.”She warned that an emphasis on resilience could make Indonesia overly cautious about addressing sensitive geopolitical realities.“We want to build resilience, but does this position make us reluctant to mention the problem? Whether it is the United States, China, Russia and so on. So we tend to avoid naming names. And that is the problem,” she said.As a primus inter pares, or first among equals, in Southeast Asia, Alexandra said Indonesia should not retreat into a purely defensive posture but continue to play an active regional and global role, guided by clearly defined interests in line with its free and active foreign policy doctrine.She added that resilience should not be narrowly interpreted as inward-looking strength alone.Instead, as a country aspiring to greater influence, Indonesia should promote cooperation based on mutual respect and benefit, whether through ASEAN, minilateral arrangements or broader multilateral frameworks.From that perspective, the diplomacy of resilience requires a comprehensive and coherent foreign policy strategy.Alexandra pointed to Indonesia’s recent entry into the BRICS grouping as an example.“We are still waiting to see what concrete contributions or ideas Indonesia can bring to make BRICS useful and promote tangible cooperation, rather than turning it into another arena for rivalry among major powers,” she said.Other analysts view the diplomacy of resilience more favorably, describing it as a pragmatic framework for navigating a world increasingly shaped by conflict, economic pressure, sanctions and disinformation.Intelligence, defense and security analyst Ngasiman Djoyonegoro said the concept departs from idealistic or purely normative diplomacy and instead reflects the realities of shifting global power dynamics.In operational terms, he wrote, resilience diplomacy offers Indonesia an alternative way to respond to international turbulence without losing sight of its long-term strategic direction.Rather than relying on coercive power, Indonesia should optimize its “smart power” by leveraging networks, legitimacy and its strategic position, Djoyonegoro said.Within that framework, ASEAN remains a critical instrument for building regional diplomatic resilience, alongside global platforms such as the United Nations, the G20 and BRICS.However, he cautioned that diplomacy of resilience must rest on strong domestic foundations. “Effective diplomacy is born from internal stability and clarity of national interests,” he said.At its core, Djoyonegoro added, resilience diplomacy places people’s interests at the heart of foreign policy, encompassing the protection of Indonesian citizens, economic stability and food security.As global volatility intensifies, analysts agree that adaptation is no longer optional for states.In that context, Indonesia’s diplomacy of resilience is being framed as a compass to navigate uncertainty—not to dominate, but to survive, adapt and remain influential in a rapidly changing world.