Megawati Soekarnoputri Arrives in Timor-Leste, Welcomed by President Ramos-Horta

PDI Perjuangan Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri commenced an official visit to Timor-Leste on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. She is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão. The fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia arrived at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili at 4:10 p.m. local time. Megawati and her entourage were welcomed by the Director General for Protocol Affairs from Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Josefina Tilman. At the foot of the aircraft steps, Megawati was also greeted by senior Timorese officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism, and Environment Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, and the Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim of the Indonesian Embassy in Timor-Leste, Mardiana Warnares. The welcoming ceremony continued with a walk along a red carpet, where Megawati was flanked by the traditional Moradores troops prepared by the Military Liaison Office of the Presidency of Timor-Leste. The daughter of Indonesia’s first president was accompanied by her family members, Puti Guntur Soekarnoputri and Romy Soekarno, as well as party officials including PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto and DPP Chair Bintang Puspayoga. Megawati then proceeded to greet several dignitaries who had gathered to receive her, including President Jose Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas, and Presidential Chief of Staff Henriqueta M. da Silva. From the Indonesian side, senior PDI Perjuangan figures such as DPP Chair and Deputy Chair of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives Andreas H. Pareira, DPP Chair for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Basarah, and Head of the Party’s Central Research and Policy Analysis Agency Andi Widjajanto were also part of the welcoming delegation. After shaking hands with Ramos-Horta, Xanana, and other Timorese officials, Megawati was greeted with a traditional dance, to which she responded with a smile. Two girls in traditional attire then presented her with a bouquet and a red traditional cloth, which one of the young greeters draped around her. Megawati took the hands of the two girls and walked with them towards the airport terminal, followed by Ramos-Horta, Xanana, and the other guests. The warm and festive atmosphere extended beyond the airport grounds. As Megawati’s motorcade departed the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, thousands of schoolchildren lined the streets from the airport to her accommodation, enthusiastically waving the flags of both nations in a show of respect and welcome from Timor-Leste’s younger generation. Megawati’s state visit will run until 10 July 2026. The main agenda is the conferment of the Grand Collar of Timor-Leste, the nation’s highest honour, by President Jose Ramos-Horta, in recognition of her services in advancing bilateral relations and reconciliation between the two countries. PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto previously stated that Megawati is receiving the award for her role in opening the roadmap to reconciliation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste when, on 20 May 2002, as President of Indonesia, she visited Timor-Leste to attend the country’s Independence Day commemoration.