President Prabowo Has Open Dialogue with Former Foreign Ministers, Vice Ministers

President Prabowo welcomes several former foreign ministers and vice ministers as well as senior national diplomatic figures at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta on Wednesday (02/04).

President Prabowo Subianto, on Wednesday (02/04), met with several former foreign ministers and vice ministers as well as senior national diplomatic figures at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. The meeting, which lasted approximately three hours, left a deep impression on the attendees, particularly regarding the President’s openness in discussing the dynamics of Indonesian foreign policy, including the Palestinian issue.

Former Foreign Vice Minister Dino Patti Djalal felt surprised by the atmosphere of the meeting which he considered very open and dialogical. The meeting, he said, was far from one-sided. “At first, I was a bit surprised. Why? Because we often hear rumors about meetings with the President being one-way, top-down. But today, I’ve got surprised because it was totally open,” Dino told the media after the meeting.

Dino said it proceeded openly in two-way discussion without any topic restrictions. Various risks, policy options, and potential global challenges that potentially hit Indonesia were discussed openly and responded directly by the President.

“There is no restriction during the discussion. No one said we couldn’t ask this or that, but it was very open, and it was two-way, not one-way discussion,” he added.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda emphasized that the meeting resulted much insight, especially regarding diplomatic issues that have been sensitive and not fully accessible to the public. He also noted that limited information often leads to incomplete perceptions among the public, making the opportunity to have a direct dialogue with President Prabowo invaluable.

“Because it was a valuable opportunity. This afternoon we gained enlightenment and a lot of information that we didn’t know,” he said.

Similarly, former Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab emphasized that the meeting affirmed Indonesia’s consistent stance on the Palestinian struggle. He stated that Indonesia’s commitment to a two-state solution remains unchanged.

“Indonesia has never abandoned its commitment to the Palestinian struggle and remains committed to a two-state solution. In layman’s terms, that’s a non-negotiable decision. A two-state solution,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, a senior diplomatic figure Jusuf Wanandi expressed his view that President Prabowo had provided a comprehensive and in-depth explanation, even answering various questions before raised. He also appreciated the President’s move to open the room for dialogue so the public could understand the complexities of the Government’s foreign policy.

“So, I think such opportunity given by the President should be appreciated and utilized together,” he said.

This meeting demonstrated President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to building inclusive and transparent communication, while ensuring that Indonesia’s foreign policy remains stand on national interests and global humanitarian commitments. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (JAS/MMB)