President Prabowo Subianto Welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa at Merdeka Palace
President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday (10/22) welcomes President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat.
President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday (10/22) welcomed President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, with an official state ceremony.
The welcoming ceremony marked the beginning of President Ramaphosa’s state visit to Indonesia.
President Ramaphosa’s motorcade arrived at the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace at around 11:00 a.m. local time. President Ramaphosa was escorted by 17 motorcycle outriders, 120 cavalry troops, and guard of honor. Thousands of students greeted the President from the National Monument (Monas) to the Merdeka Palace courtyard, waving Indonesian and South African flags.
President Prabowo personally greeted President Ramaphosa on the west side of the Merdeka Palace. The national anthems of South Africa and Indonesia were played to commence the state ceremony, accompanied by a 21-gun salute. After the ceremony, both heads of state jointly inspected the guard of honor.
The ceremony continued with the introduction of each country’s delegation. From Indonesia, the delegation included Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai, Minister of Trade Budi Santoso, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa Saud Purwanto Krisnawan.
Afterward, President Prabowo invited President Ramaphosa to the credential room for a photo session and the signing of the state guest book, followed by a tête-à-tête meeting between the two leaders at the Presidential office.
After the tête-à-tête meeting, a bilateral meeting was held between the Indonesian and South African delegations in the oval room of the Merdeka Palace, in a working lunch format. The discussion proceeded in a warm atmosphere, exploring opportunities for cooperation across various sectors between the two nations.
The official state visit concluded with a joint press statement by both leaders. President Ramaphosa’s visit marks a historic milestone in strengthening diplomatic relations between Indonesia and South Africa, while also opening new avenues for deeper strategic cooperation in the future.
(BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RI/MUR)
