Prabowo affirms Indonesia-India friendship at Indian Community Reception

President Prabowo Subianto affirmed the close friendship between Indonesia and India while attending the Indian Community Reception held at the Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC) on Tuesday. In remarks received in Jakarta, President Prabowo expressed gratitude and happiness at meeting the Indian community in Indonesia, and recalled the honour of being the chief guest at India’s Republic Day in 2025. “I was deeply honoured to be the chief guest, because the first Indian Republic Day celebration was in 1950 and the chief guest at that time was Indonesia’s first president, President Soekarno. So, destiny made me the eighth President of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Prabowo. In his speech, President Prabowo also affirmed his personal admiration for India. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his remarks expressed appreciation for the warm welcome given by President Prabowo Subianto and all the people of Indonesia. PM Modi called President Prabowo a true friend of India and said he was impressed by the honour he had received since arriving in Indonesia. “This is an experience I will remember for a lifetime. In Indonesia, the love that Indonesians have for India, today I even saw it at the Presidential Palace. The spirit of the Indonesian people, the smiles of the schoolchildren at the palace earlier, the spirit of Indonesia’s young people, everything was so extraordinary. I cannot express it in words, it was truly remarkable,” said PM Modi. PM Modi also expressed admiration for the enthusiasm of the Indonesian people, which he felt reflected a sincere friendship, including the popularity of Indian songs. According to PM Modi, this cultural closeness is a strong asset for strengthening relations between the two countries in the future. “Today I told President Prabowo that if India and Indonesia walk together, it is not just ‘Kuch Kuch’—not just a few things that happen—but going forward, many things will happen if we always stay together,” he said. The Indian Community Reception was the closing event of PM Modi’s state visit in Jakarta. He is scheduled to visit Yogyakarta on Wednesday to tour the Prambanan Temple complex.