Prabowo Welcomes Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at Merdeka Palace

President Prabowo Subianto received Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for a state visit at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (2/7). The meeting was a reciprocal visit following President Prabowo’s trip to Belarus in July last year.

Foreign Minister Sugiono explained that the main agenda for the two heads of state was to strengthen various bilateral cooperation opportunities that had been previously initiated. The focus of this collaboration is directed at strategic sectors that are national priorities.

Sugiono told the media that many potential areas for bilateral cooperation were identified during the President’s visit to Belarus on 15 July and are now being further developed. He noted that the food and energy sectors are crucial points of discussion for the two leaders, aligning with the Indonesian government’s vision to sustainably strengthen national food and energy security.

A concrete form of this cooperation involves the supply of raw materials for the agricultural industry. More intensive collaboration in this field will be solidified, with both nations set to partner on various agricultural products, particularly raw materials for fertiliser.

Beyond technical sectors, the economic relationship between the two countries is showing a positive trend. A previous Indonesia-Belarus business forum successfully recorded cooperation commitments worth US$500 million. The meeting at the Merdeka Palace is expected to provide momentum to further boost trade and investment figures, as both presidents agreed that the current numbers need to be increased for the progress of both nations.