President Prabowo Subianto Welcomes Australian PM Albanese in Grand Ceremony at Merdeka Palace

President Prabowo Subianto welcomes Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Indonesia for a working visit in a state welcoming ceremony, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Friday (02/06). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto Friday (02/06) welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Indonesia for a working visit in a state welcoming ceremony, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. For the record, this is Prime Minister Albanese’s fifth visit to the country which serves to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australia as strategic partners in Indo-Pacific region.

During the ceremony, motorcade carrying PM Albanese was escorted by 17 motorist troops and 120 cavalry troops marching from Patung Kuda (Horse Statues) to the Palace.

Upon arrival at the Merdeka Palace, PM Albanese was greeted by guards of honor standing at the palace gate. The welcoming ceremony was also enlivened by performance of 12 dancers and 6 musicians performing Naikonos Dance, a traditional dance from East Nusa Tenggara province as the representation of Indonesia’s vast cultural richness.

President Prabowo Subianto welcomed PM Albanese by warmly shaking his hands. Both leaders paused at the end of the line to watch the traditional cultural performance before heading to the front veranda of the Merdeka Palace.

The welcoming ceremony continued with the playing of the Australian national anthem and Indonesia’s national anthem Indonesia Raya.

Once the anthems ended, both leaders introduced their respective delegates. Indonesian delegates consisted of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/ Head of Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Rosan Roeslani, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Siswo Pramono.

President Prabowo Subianto then invited PM Albanese heading to the credentials room to take a photo before conducting a tête-à-tête in the President’s office to discuss various strategic issues and bilateral cooperation. In that meeting, both leaders inked Treaty on Common Security between Indonesia and Australia, marking the new chapter in both countries’ partnership on security and defense.

“Once again, thank you to Your Excellency for being here. It is a pleasure to meet you,” President Prabowo said.

Later in the afternoon, PM Albanese was scheduled to attend a state luncheon hosted by President Prabowo at the Merdeka Palace to honor PM Albanese and his delegation. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RAS/AW)