Megawati Visits Timor Leste to Receive Highest Honour

Indonesia’s fifth President and Chairperson of the PDI Perjuangan, Megawati Soekarnoputri, is conducting an official visit to Timor Leste. She is scheduled to receive the nation’s highest honour for her role in weaving reconciliation between Indonesia and Timor Leste. The delegation landed at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili on Wednesday (8/7/2026) at 16:10 local time. Director General for Protocol Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste, Josefina Tilman, welcomed and accompanied Megawati upon arrival at the airport. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism, and Environment of Timor Leste, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, and the Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Timor Leste, Mardiana Warnares. Megawati was welcomed with a red carpet procession, escorted by the traditional Moradores troops from the Military Liaison Office of the Presidency of Timor Leste. During the visit, Megawati was accompanied by family members, including Puti Guntur Soekarnoputri and Romy Soekarno, as well as senior party officials such as PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto and DPP Chair Bintang Puspayoga. Megawati then walked towards a line of waiting dignitaries, including President of the Republic of Timor Leste J. Ramos Horta, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas, and Chief of Presidential Staff Henriqueta M. da Silva. From the Indonesian side, several PDI Perjuangan officials in the welcoming delegation were also present, such as DPP Chair and member 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. After shaking hands with the Timorese leaders, Megawati greeted the local dancers who welcomed her warmly. The festive atmosphere was felt not only inside the airport area but also along the roads outside the complex. As the convoy of vehicles began moving towards the accommodation, thousands of schoolchildren were seen lining the streets. The students waved the flags of both countries as a form of respect and a warm welcome from the young generation of Timor Leste. The state visit is scheduled to last until 10 July 2026. The main agenda of the visit is the conferral of the highest honour, the Grand Collar of Timor Leste, by President Jose Ramos Horta for Megawati’s great service in advancing bilateral relations and reconciliation between the two countries. During her visit, Megawati is also scheduled to hold special bilateral meetings with President Jose Ramos Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, as well as visit several historical sites. ‘Ibu Megawati receives this award for her service in opening the roadmap towards reconciliation between Indonesia and Timor Leste, when on 20 May 2002, as President of the Republic of Indonesia, she visited Timor Leste to attend the commemoration of Timor Leste’s independence day,’ said PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto in a written statement.