Belarus President stays at Merdeka Palace during state visit, says Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Sugiono has revealed that Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko is staying at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during his state visit to Indonesia. According to Sugiono, the decision was a form of honour accorded by the Indonesian Government to the Belarusian Head of State. “I think we are showing respect because usually, during state visits, other presidents prefer to stay at a hotel, but this time he wanted, he wished to be at the Palace,” Sugiono said at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday. Sugiono explained that during state visits, heads of state generally choose to stay in hotels. However, President Lukashenko expressed a desire to stay within the Palace grounds. He said the government had initially prepared the State Guesthouse as accommodation for the Belarusian President. However, President Prabowo Subianto deemed Merdeka Palace more representative for receiving the state guest. “Initially it was the State Guesthouse, but the President considered Merdeka Palace to be more representative,” he clarified. Sugiono also added that President Lukashenko is the first head of state to stay at Merdeka Palace. Previously, state guests staying within the Presidential Palace complex were accommodated at the State Guesthouse. “The first president at the State Palace. The last one at the State Guesthouse was Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen,” said Sugiono. President Lukashenko’s state visit is a reciprocal visit following President Prabowo’s trip to Belarus in 2025. The meeting between the two leaders is scheduled to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of food security, energy security, and enhancing economic relations between Indonesia and Belarus.