Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in New Delhi on Friday night for his first state visit to India. He was warmly welcomed at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita.
President Prabowo’s visit, scheduled from January 23 to 26, coincides with India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations, where he will serve as the Chief Guest. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that the visit aims to further strengthen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote:
“A warm welcome to President Prabowo Subianto @prabowo of Indonesia as he arrives in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Received by MoS @PmargheritaBJP at the airport. President @prabowo will be the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations. This visit will further strengthen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
Before departing for India, President Prabowo outlined the objectives of his visit on X. He stated that the trip aims to bolster strategic cooperation in key areas such as security, maritime, and digital technology development. He also announced that he would visit Malaysia following his trip to India.
“Today, I depart for New Delhi, India, to attend the 76th Republic Day celebrations of India. During my visit, I will meet with the President and Prime Minister of India to strengthen strategic cooperation in areas such as security, maritime, and digital technology development,” President Prabowo wrote.
“After completing my agenda in India, I will continue my trip to Malaysia at the invitation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Close cooperation with friendly countries has always been our priority to build a stronger and more prosperous region together,” he added.
During his visit, President Prabowo is scheduled to meet key Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, President Droupadi Murmu, and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
- January 25:
- President Prabowo will attend a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 10:00 am, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat.
- He will meet Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House at 12:00 pm, which will include the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and a joint press statement.
- In the evening, he will meet Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Taj Mahal Hotel at 4:00 pm and President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7:00 pm.
- January 26:
- President Prabowo will attend the Republic Day Parade as the Chief Guest.
- He will later join the “At Home” Reception hosted by President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan before departing for Indonesia at 5:30 pm.
This year’s Republic Day Parade will feature a 352-member Indonesian marching and band contingent, marking the first time an Indonesian contingent has participated in a national day parade abroad.
The visit is expected to conclude with several MoUs and key announcements. Additionally, the third India-Indonesia CEO Forum will take place on the sidelines of the visit.
President Prabowo is the fourth Indonesian leader to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations as Chief Guest. The two nations have a history of strong ties, with Prime Minister Modi’s 2018 visit to Indonesia elevating bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During that visit, the two countries adopted a shared vision for maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
More recently, Prime Minister Modi met President Prabowo on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2024, marking the first meeting between the two leaders.