Megawati Receives Ramos-Horta, Discusses Strategic Issues for Over 2.5 Hours at Teuku Umar

Jakarta - Former Fifth President of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri received a visit from the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, at her residence on Jalan Teuku Umar, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Monday (23/3/2026). The meeting between the two national figures took place intensively in a familial atmosphere. “For more than 2.5 hours, the two national figures held a closed discussion thick with historical and strategic nuances,” stated the official release from the PDI-P Central Executive Board on Monday. A sense of familiarity was evident as Megawati personally welcomed Ramos-Horta and invited him to sit to begin the dialogue. “Please, have a seat,” Megawati greeted. Following the approximately 150-minute meeting, the two figures exchanged souvenirs as a symbol of friendship between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Megawati presented traditional Indonesian batik cloth and her book titled Spirit of Humanity. “In response, Ramos-Horta handed over a traditional Timor-Leste handicraft bag and renowned Timor-Leste Arabica coffee,” the PDI-P Central Executive Board statement noted. This meeting continues previous communications between Megawati and Ramos-Horta, who had met at an international event in Abu Dhabi in early February 2026. Their relationship is known to have a long-established emotional closeness, including in the context of reconciliation between the two countries following the 1999 referendum. Ramos-Horta had previously invited Megawati to visit Dili to receive the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste award. The award represents the highest form of appreciation for Megawati’s contributions to creating peace. During the reception at Teuku Umar, several PDI-P central board members were present, including Ahmad Basarah, Yasonna Laoly, Ronny Talapessy, and Andi Widjajanto. This meeting reaffirms the commitment of both figures to maintaining harmonious bilateral relations between Indonesia and Timor-Leste in the future.