Prabowo in Russia: Development Must Ensure Children Receive Nutritious Food
President Prabowo Subianto has asserted that the success of national development must not only benefit a few. Instead, the primary indicator of developmental success must be measured by the tangible benefits felt by ordinary families, especially regarding nutritional fulfillment and food security.
President Prabowo made these remarks while delivering a speech as the guest of honour at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday (3/9). In this international forum, Prabowo emphasised the importance of an inclusive economy.
“Development must not only benefit a handful of people. Development must be measured at the dining tables of ordinary families: do children receive nutritious food? Can farmers obtain fertiliser and sell their produce at a fair price?” stated Prabowo, as monitored via the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube broadcast.
The President explained that this principle of prioritising the common people serves as the fundamental basis for the government in implementing the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Furthermore, this vision drives government efforts to achieve national food self-sufficiency and energy security.
Moreover, the government is accelerating industrial downstreaming. This step is being taken to ensure that Indonesia’s natural resources are not merely exported raw, but are capable of creating derivative industries that enhance workforce skills and create widespread domestic employment.
“We are striving for faster economic growth—not growth for the sake of growth alone, but growth that can lift millions of people out of poverty towards dignity,” he asserted.
During the occasion, Prabowo highlighted the significant opportunities to increase cooperation between Indonesia and Russia, particularly in the food security sector. He assessed that both nations possess complementary economic strengths.
Russia is known for its advantages in wheat commodities, fertiliser, energy, and advanced scientific technology. On the other hand, Indonesia possesses rich plantation and marine commodities such as palm oil, coffee, rubber, and fisheries.
President Prabowo also presented data on the growth of bilateral trade value between Indonesia and Russia, which shows a significant positive trend in recent years.
Prabowo noted that the trade value projected for 2025 is approaching five billion US dollars, representing a 33.7 per cent increase compared to 2023 data. According to him, this achievement is merely the beginning of much larger economic cooperation potential in the future.