Indonesia and Korea Deepen Strategic Partnership at 2025 APEC Summit
President Prabowo Subianto holds a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung, at the Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), Gyeongju, Saturday (11/01) (Photo by: BPMI)
President Prabowo Subianto Saturday (11/01) had a bilateral meeting with President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung at the Hwabaek International Convention CenterHICO), Gyeongju.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to discuss various aspects of strategic cooperation between the two countries.
In his opening remarks, President Lee emphasized that Republic of Korea–Indonesia relationship has developed rapidly and covers various strategic sectors, stating that cooperation between the two countries has now reached a very high level of partnership.
“Republic of Korea and Indonesia have built cooperation in various fields over a long period. We have cooperation in economic, trade and investment sectors, as well as in defense and security, and we have brought this level of cooperation to a very high level,” the President said.
The Head of State also expressed appreciation for the progress of collaboration in defense, especially in the joint development project of the new generation KF-21 fighter aircraft. He also linked the close relationship between the two countries to the historical values born from the 1955 Bandung Asia-Africa Conference.
“We all have learned from history that Indonesia started the establishment of the Bandung Spirit, with key elements of balance, strategic autonomy, cooperation, and pragmatism. These values are very strong pillars for Korea’s foreign policy,” he stated.
Responding to this, President Prabowo Subianto expressed appreciation for the close partnership between the two countries, both in economic and defense sectors.
The Head of State noted that over the past year, communication between the Indonesian Government and Korea’s industry players has been intensive.
“I met Korean industry and business leaders when they visited Indonesia. We had extensive discussions, and we are very open to Korea’s continued participation in our economy. We hope to continue this cooperation,” the President said.
In the defense sector, he affirmed that the ongoing cooperation would continue to be strengthened, including further discussions on the joint KF-21 fighter jet project, explaining that the negotiation process is ongoing and involves technical discussions between both parties.
“Negotiations are ongoing and of course, negotiations always depend on economic factors, prices, and financing schemes. So, I believe our ministers will continue discussions with your team, and our technical teams will also carry on this,” said President Prabowo.
During the meeting, the President also underlined the importance of strengthening cultural cooperation with Republic of Korea.
Close collaboration in culture can trigger the growth of the local creative industry, boost Indonesia’s cultural competitiveness, and enhance other strategic economic sectors such as tourism, he added. (BPMI) (EST/EP)
