Megawati Meets Timor-Leste Leader, Discusses Maritime Cooperation and Party Cadre Development

PDI Perjuangan Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri held a working lunch and bilateral meeting with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão in Palm Springs, Dili, on Friday, 10 July 2026. The meeting between the two figures produced a number of long-term strategic commitments for the future of the younger generation in the region.

The event was opened by Timor-Leste’s Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay. In his report, Kalbuadi Lay noted that all the dishes served were deliberately simple home cooking to reinforce an intimate family atmosphere. He also expressed appreciation for the thorough preparations made beforehand by the PDI Perjuangan delegation led by Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, and specifically praised Megawati’s dynamic and substantive communication style. ‘Many were impressed, Ibu Mega held concise notes, yet the points she delivered from the podium were very broad and deep. We hope the youth of Timor-Leste can learn from the leadership of two great figures, Maun Xanana and Ibu Mega,’ said Kalbuadi Lay.

In his honour speech, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão conveyed his respect and appreciation for Megawati’s presence. For Xanana, Megawati’s visit to Dili was a reminder of the most crucial moment in his life, namely the ceremony restoring Timor-Leste’s independence on 20 May 2002. ‘In front of thousands of Timorese people and world leaders like Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton, your presence at that time turned a moment of independence into an extraordinary moment of reconciliation,’ said Xanana. He stated that Megawati’s presence in 2002 sent a strong message to the world that Timor-Leste’s independence was not a loss for Indonesia, but rather the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations. ‘You showed the world that former opposing parties can choose the path of peace and dignity. Today, Timor-Leste has no closer friend than Indonesia,’ he said. Xanana also paid high tribute to Megawati’s father, Proclamator Bung Karno, whom he assessed as a global leader who successfully mobilised the solidarity of Asian-African nations against colonialism to uphold human dignity.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri began her speech by recounting her morning visit to the Seroja Heroes Cemetery, where she observed that Dili is now much more bustling than in the past. The formal atmosphere melted when Megawati joked with Xanana about their past as movement figures familiar with prison bars. Given their personal closeness, both agreed to reject formal titles, instead addressing each other as ‘Maun Xanana’ (Brother Xanana) and ‘Mega’. Megawati even asked the Timorese youth in attendance to call her ‘Mama’. She joked, ‘I often tease Pak Xanana. If he calls prison a “closed university”, I tell him he still loses to my father (Bung Karno). Pak Xanana was in Cipinang Prison for 7 years, my father spent a total of 22 years in prison and was exiled 3 times.’ Beyond the humour, Megawati stressed the importance of steadfastness, courage, and revolutionary patience for a politician and leader. ‘Without conviction, a person can become a traitor halfway just to seek material gain. We must strive to make our life’s journey meaningful,’ she said. Megawati also motivated women not to be defeated in debates or strategic spaces at the heart of democracy.

Megawati then outlined a concrete cooperation framework to strengthen the foundation of bilateral relations in the future. First, maritime cooperation and climate change via BRIN. As fellow archipelagic nations, Indonesia and Timor-Leste face real threats from climate change, including El Niño symptoms and drought risks. Megawati has tasked marine expert and PDI Perjuangan DPP Chair Prof. Rokhmin Dahuri to formulate joint anticipatory measures. Second, comparative nationalism studies via BPIP. Megawati sees a common thread of ideological thought between Bung Karno and Xanana Gusmão, both driven by the spirit of liberation from colonialism. This cooperation is important to revive the younger generation’s interest in reading physical books, which is being eroded by digitalisation. Third, institutional party cooperation. Megawati stated that PDI Perjuangan is wide open to sharing its experience in party institutionalisation and cadre development with political parties in Timor-Leste, particularly CNRT. Given PDI Perjuangan’s systemic track record with ISO qualification standards and its Party School, this cooperation is expected to boost the creativity and leadership initiatives of young people and female cadres in parliament. In her closing remarks, Megawati encouraged Timor-Leste never to feel small on the geopolitical map. She proposed that the spirit of the Dasasila Bandung be made a permanent mechanism that can be formally elevated when Timor-Leste holds the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.