President Prabowo Travels Abroad to Strengthen Diplomatic Ties

JAKARTA (ANTARA) - Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that President Prabowo Subianto’s frequent foreign visits are to build strong relationships with global leaders amid uncertain global conditions. This was communicated via an official Cabinet Secretariat post in Jakarta on Monday, in response to suggestions from former Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal regarding President Prabowo’s overseas trips. ‘Every leader must cultivate close ties with world leaders; we cannot wait until a crisis to ask for help. We must nurture good relationships so that when urgent situations arise, we can seek assistance, and vice versa,’ Teddy said. He added that the global landscape is highly dynamic daily, so the President has a set annual schedule as well as urgent trips tailored to domestic and international needs. Furthermore, international relations cannot be built instantly during crises, so President Prabowo needs to establish closeness and trust with world leaders from the start. Teddy explained that diplomacy isn’t only conducted through formal public meetings but also through private personal communication. Regarding former Deputy FM Dino’s proposal to meet other heads of state during international forums, Teddy said this is determined directly by President Prabowo and the Foreign Minister based on national interest priorities. ‘He knows what’s prioritised, which meetings to prioritise, which can be done via phone, which should be publicised, and which shouldn’t,’ Teddy said. He added that not all diplomatic communication requires face-to-face meetings; in some situations, phone calls or other diplomatic channels are used as needed. Previously, former Deputy FM Dino Patti Djalal criticised President Prabowo’s foreign trips, highlighting concerns over costs, delegation size, travel schedule transparency, frequency of visits to various countries in 1.5 years, and suggestions to utilise international forums for meetings.