PUBLISHED ONMay 12, 2026 2:28 PMBYSean LerMinister for Foreign Affairs Dr Balakrishnan on Tuesday (May 12) expressed Singapore's "deepest appreciation" to Indonesian search-and-rescue personnel for taking "significant risks" during their mission to rescue 20 hikers, including Singaporeans, after the eruption of Mount Dukono on May 8.
The search-and-rescue mission later evolved to become a recovery operation after local authorities confirmed that three people had died — an Indonesian woman and two Singaporeans.
Timothy Heng, 30, and Shahin Muhrez Abdul Hamid, 27, were found near the summit on Sunday, with their remains recovered the same day.
Rescuers reportedly faced continuous eruptions and bad weather, with photographs showing them covered in volcanic ash and dirt.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono on the second of this three-day working visit on Tuesday (May 12), Dr Balakrishnan noted that rescue personnel were themselves at considerable risk.
"I want to express our deepest appreciation to the search-and-rescue teams.
"More than 150 professional Indonesian personnel undertook significant risk to themselves in very difficult circumstances, with a volcano that was still erupting and amidst adverse weather conditions," he said.
Reflecting on events over the past few days, Dr Balakrishnan said that the instinctive looking out for one another and protecting each other in a time of crisis reflects the closeness of hearts between Indonesians and Singaporeans.
"These sort of things, you cannot pay for or demand; you just hope and you rely on the strength of the relationship between our two countries," he added.
Turning to bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Dr Balakrishnan pointed out that Indonesia and Singapore have stood by each other in both good times and tough times.
"Whether it was the Covid-19 pandemic, or now with the crisis in the Middle East.
"We have stood by each other, we have supported each other, and we will get through this crisis together," he said.
Beyond the solidarity, the Foreign Minister also highlighted the Expanded Framework Agreement, which came into force in 2024, as "a very good sign" of how the two countries able to resolve longstanding issues constructively.
On the economic front, Singapore and Indonesia are among each other's biggest trading partners.
Then there are bilateral projects, such as the Nongsa Digital Park in Batam and the Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java, which Dr Balakrishnan noted have good prospects for further growth, especially in the digital and green economies.
He also noted that Indonesia has vast potential in the energy space and can become a "superpower in energy". This, coupled with Singapore's role as a regional hub for technology and infrastructure, may be another way of synergy between the two countries, Dr Balakrishnan suggested.
At the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat in June last year, Singapore and Indonesia exchanged memoranda of understanding on food safety and agriculture technology; cross-border electricity interconnection and trading, renewable and low-carbon energy technologies, energy efficiency and conservation; and cooperation in cross-border carbon capture and storage.
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