Cabinet Secretary Teddy Responds to Dino Patti Djalal on President's Foreign Visits

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya has responded to criticisms from former Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal regarding President Prabowo Subianto’s foreign visits. The criticisms included concerns over budgetary costs and the number of overseas trips.

Regarding overseas costs, he stated that any expenses exceeding the national budget are covered personally by the President. He also noted that the size of the presidential delegation has been significantly reduced compared to previous administrations.

‘As for the costs of foreign trips, this has been explained multiple times: any expenditure beyond the allocated national budget is fully borne by President Prabowo personally,’ Teddy said, quoting the Cabinet Secretariat’s Instagram on Monday night, as reported on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.

‘The size of President Prabowo’s delegation has been drastically reduced by more than half compared to previous terms,’ Teddy explained, noting that presidential delegations previously reached up to 120 people, whereas the current maximum is 50 to 60.

Regarding the schedule of foreign visits, Teddy explained that some itineraries are planned a year in advance, while others are urgent due to overseas needs, especially given the highly dynamic global situation.

Teddy also explained that the protocol issues and frequency of foreign visits over the past 18 months stem from the need to build diplomatic ties between national leaders. This is because, since Prabowo assumed office, the world has faced a series of crises, including conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Venezuela.

‘Every leader must cultivate close relationships with other world leaders; we cannot wait until a crisis occurs to seek assistance. We must nurture good relationships in advance so that when emergencies arise, we can request help—and vice versa. This requires personal and emotional closeness between leaders, whether through public or private meetings. That is diplomacy,’ Teddy said.

He also dismissed claims that the President’s foreign visits are mere ceremonial showmanship, stating that tangible results have already been achieved.

‘It is a mistake to label these trips as mere ceremonial showmanship. We must look at what has been accomplished in the past 18 months,’ he added.