Cabinet Secretary: Prabowo Covers Overseas Trip Costs Personally, Delegation Cut

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya clarified remarks made by former Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal regarding President Prabowo Subianto’s overseas visits. Teddy stated that any excess costs from the President’s foreign trips are covered personally. “Next, as I was mentioned by Ambassador Dino, I would like to clarify several points,” Teddy said in a video posted on the Cabinet Secretariat’s social media account on Monday, 1 June 2026. Teddy thanked for the carefully structured input and said the excess costs of Prabowo’s overseas trips are borne by his personal funds. “First, regarding overseas costs. This has been explained multiple times. Any excess costs beyond the state budget are fully covered by President Prabowo personally,” Teddy said. Regarding the delegation size, Teddy said it has been significantly reduced compared to previous periods. The delegation for Prabowo’s overseas trips now ranges between 50 to 60 people. “Second, the delegation size. This is very important. President Prabowo’s delegation has been drastically reduced—more than half compared to previous periods. Previously, during Dino’s time, it could exceed 120 people per trip. Now, under President Prabowo, it’s a maximum of 50 to 60,” he said. Teddy then explained the scheduling of Prabowo’s overseas visits, noting that while schedules may change, there are annual and urgent plans. “Third, the schedule must be planned a year in advance. Global developments are highly dynamic, day by day. So there are annual schedules and urgent ones based on domestic and international needs,” he said. Additionally, Teddy addressed the frequency of Prabowo’s overseas trips due to global crises. Prabowo assumed office amid ongoing conflicts worldwide. “Fourth, regarding protocol and frequency of overseas visits in the past year and a half. President Prabowo took office when the world was in crisis. Previously, there were conflicts in Ukraine and Venezuela, and now in Iran and the Middle East, involving Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and others,” Teddy said. Teddy explained that Prabowo’s foreign visits are part of efforts to build close relationships with world leaders, which allows Indonesia to seek assistance during crises. “Every leader must cultivate close relationships with other world leaders. We cannot wait until a crisis to ask for help. We must nurture these relationships in advance,” he said. “When an urgent situation arises, we can then request assistance, and vice versa. Personal and emotional closeness between leaders—whether through direct meetings, media coverage, or private discussions—is diplomacy,” he added.