Dino Patti: Prabowo Spends 1 in 6 Days Abroad

In an Instagram video posted under @dinopattidjalal, Dino stated that many Indonesians are calling for President Prabowo to significantly reduce foreign travel and not dismiss public concerns on the matter. ‘In our calculations, among world leaders, President Prabowo has become the most frequent traveller abroad,’ Dino said. The former Deputy Foreign Minister noted that during his presidency, Prabowo has spent one day in six abroad. Hence, he is unsurprised by claims that such overseas trips are unusual. He also believes that over the next 18 months, the president will continue to make international visits at the same high frequency. ‘State visits abroad incur substantial costs, even very high ones,’ Dino said. Costs include advance team expenses, flight, hotel, logistics, catering, protocol and security, daily allowances for the entire delegation and accompanying staff, and various other expenses. Dino stated that a single foreign trip can cost tens, or even hundreds, of billions of rupiah. Thus, Dino offered five suggestions to Prabowo. First, to maintain communication with world leaders, he advised relying more on video calls, Zoom calls, or phone calls. ‘In my experience, a bilateral visit usually centres around one hour-long discussion, or at most two, with the rest being small talk, banquets, and ceremonial events that are often unnecessary,’ he said. According to Dino, a single zero-cost video call could save the country hundreds of billions of rupiah on foreign trips while delivering roughly the same substantive results. Such cost-saving measures via Zoom calls could address public perceptions that the president’s overseas travel is wasteful and merely for leisure. Dino cited Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has called US President Donald Trump 17 times without ever meeting him bilaterally, despite the US being Mexico’s largest trading partner. ‘And during a working trip to Spain, President Sheinbaum even flew economy class to set an example for her people that the cost-cutting she advocates across her government also applies to the president,’ he said. Second, to save costs and time, President Prabowo should leverage international forums to meet other heads of state present. Dino recounted that during last year’s UN General Assembly in New York, Finnish President Alexander Stubb requested a meeting with Prabowo but received no response. Dino also mentioned that during the recent ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, a request from an ASEAN leader for a bilateral meeting went unanswered. He did not know why the government had not responded. ‘We recommend the palace adopt the ’Formula 1 plus 8’ approach: when attending international forums such as Davos, the UN in New York, ASEAN, or G20, while delivering a speech, the president should also meet at least eight other heads of state present,’ Dino said. Dino explained the number eight was chosen as it is Prabowo’s lucky number. Third, Dino suggested that President Prabowo’s international visits should be conducted professionally and well-planned. Dino observed several spontaneous visits without clear planning or objectives. Presidential international visit plans should be mapped out a year in advance. ‘Both Cabinet Secretary Teddy and Foreign Minister Sugiono should announce the president’s planned visits to a country at least a month in advance, or at minimum a week before the date, alongside the destination country,’ Dino said. Dino cited the president’s visits to Pakistan and Russia during the Sumatra floods, for example, which were conducted without prior public notification. He deemed the palace must apply accountability and transparency principles, as the public often does not know where the president is abroad. Fourth, President Prabowo should receive more foreign dignitaries domestically over the next year rather than travelling abroad. Dino noted this is the strategy employed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hosts far more foreign guests in Beijing than he travels overseas. Fifth, Dino proposed that most tactical diplomatic missions be delegated to Foreign Minister Sugiono. According to Dino, this would save costs as the foreign minister’s travel would only require three staff members, resulting in significantly lower expenses than presidential trips while achieving similar substantive outcomes. ‘However, Foreign Minister Sugiono must step away from being part of the president’s entourage that must always be by his side,’ he said. Dino stated that previous foreign ministers never positioned themselves as part of the presidential entourage, focusing entirely on foreign policy. Dino said his remarks reflected the sentiments of most citizens. Amid global volatility and economic uncertainty, he stated Indonesians are no longer