Prabowo Welcomes German President at Merdeka Palace

President Prabowo Subianto received German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Steinmeier arrived at the official residence of the Indonesian President on Monday, 15 June 2026, at around 11.30 WIB. The leader of the Federal Republic of Germany was escorted by 120 mounted troops as he entered the palace complex. Steinmeier’s car briefly circled the National Monument (Monas) area before proceeding to the palace across from it. Elementary school students in red and white uniforms greeted Steinmeier as he entered the palace gates. Steinmeier briefly opened the car window to wave to the students, who were holding small Indonesian and German flags. Prabowo then welcomed Steinmeier at the car door. They watched a traditional Malay dance before continuing the welcoming procession. The national anthems ‘Indonesia Raya’ and ‘Deutschlandlied’ were played, accompanied by a 21-gun salute during the official ceremony. When receiving Steinmeier, Prabowo was accompanied by several officials, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Minister Sugiono, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Rosan Roeslani, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. President Steinmeier was accompanied by Germany’s First Lady Elke Büdenbender. The German delegation also included representatives from the business, cultural, and science and technology sectors. German Ambassador to Indonesia Ralf Beste stated that the German President’s visit to Jakarta sends a message that the country is a strong and dependable partner for Indonesia. Beste noted that Steinmeier’s trip is driven by Germany’s desire to strengthen partnerships with strong developing nations like Indonesia. According to Ambassador Beste, Steinmeier will also hold meetings and discussions with Indonesian intellectual and research communities during his visit on Monday. ‘In that meeting, they will discuss how Indonesia views the current geostrategic changes in the world,’ he said. The German ambassador also expressed hope that President Prabowo would reciprocate President Steinmeier’s visit with a return trip to Germany. ‘We hope that the German President’s visit this time can be reciprocated in the future,’ Beste said.