Teddy Defends President Prabowo's Foreign Visits: Not Merely for Show
Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel TNI Teddy Indra Wijaya has dismissed allegations that President Prabowo Subianto’s various overseas visits are merely attempts to appear prestigious. According to Teddy, Prabowo’s state visits represent a form of active diplomacy that has yielded various concrete results.
Teddy’s statement was a response to criticisms levelled by former Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal regarding the President’s international travels. “It is entirely incorrect to say this is merely for ceremonial show. We must look at what has been achieved in the last 1.5 years,” Teddy stated via a video release on Monday, 1 June 2026.
He outlined several diplomatic outcomes from Prabowo’s presidency over the past 19 months. First, Teddy noted Indonesia’s inclusion in the BRICS group, a major bloc of developing nations serving as a forum for economic, political, and security cooperation. While BRICS originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, its membership has expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia.
Teddy argued that BRICS membership provides benefits amidst global uncertainty by maintaining the stability of energy and food supplies. “In the midst of current global crises and conflicts, the nation’s situation is secured. Fuel stocks are safe, and subsidised fuel prices have not risen. Food stocks are secure,” Teddy claimed.
Secondly, Teddy mentioned a trade agreement with the European Union that provides a 0 per cent tariff on various Indonesian products. He noted that while this agreement had been under negotiation for over a decade, it was only finalised during the Prabowo administration. “A 0 per cent tariff in the EU, covering 25 countries. This is an agreement that was being processed for over ten years, but when was it achieved? It was during President Prabowo’s era, specifically in 2025,” he said.
Thirdly, Teddy claimed that investment inflows worth approximately Rp 2,430 trillion have entered Indonesia over the last 1.5 years, citing data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). Furthermore, he noted that Prabowo’s visits to Japan and South Korea between late March and early April 2026 resulted in additional investment commitments of around Rp 575 trillion.
In the defence sector, Teddy stated that Indonesia now possesses stronger defence equipment thanks to cooperation with France, the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and other European nations.
Additionally, Teddy touched upon the administration of the Hajj pilgrimage during Prabowo’s term, asserting that the 2025 and 2026 pilgrimages proceeded smoothly. “Indonesia is the only country that has a Hajj village in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia even changed its laws to allow a country to hold land there for use by Hajj pilgrims,” said the former assistant aide to the 7th President, Joko Widodo.
Regarding his sixth state visit, Teddy noted Prabowo’s active role in supporting Palestinian independence. This support included the delivery of logistical aid via air routes. “Not all countries can do this. Why? It requires diplomacy with countries whose airspace the aircraft must traverse,” he explained.
Other forms of support mentioned included the deployment of hospital ships and the provision of scholarships for Palestinian children to pursue education in Indonesia. Finally, Teddy claimed that Indonesia successfully secured the release of Indonesian citizens who had been detained by the Israeli military in international waters. He credited the diplomacy of Foreign Minister Sugiono and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the swift return of these citizens to the homeland.
Concluding his statement, Teddy noted that the government remains open to various inputs. “But we must not obscure the facts regarding all the achievements we have made,” he asserted.