Indonesia, Singapore Enhance Strategic Partnership, Leaders’ Retreat Results in Concrete Steps Across Sectors
President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Indonesia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, held at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday (7/6). The meeting affirmed the two countries’ commitment to continuing to strengthen their strategic partnership through broader and more concrete cooperation in various sectors.
In a joint press statement after the meeting, President Prabowo expressed his appreciation for PM Lawrence Wong’s visit along with his delegation. The President considered the Leaders’ Retreat to be a reflection of the unique and exceptional relations between Indonesia and Singapore.
“Thank you to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for visiting Indonesia with his delegation for the Indonesia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat. This is my second retreat. And this meeting once again demonstrates the unique and exceptional relations between Indonesia and Singapore,” said the President.
President Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia and Singapore share a common interest in maintaining regional stability and prosperity. Therefore, President Prabowo stated that the two countries agreed to continue strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation.
“We agree to maintain our common interests and we must continue to cooperate for the benefit of both parties,” he said.
President Prabowo further said that he had an intensive, open, and future-oriented discussion with PM Lawrence Wong. According to President Prabowo, both countries are committed to resolving any differences through open communication as friends.
“We had an intensive, productive, heart-to-heart, open, and future-oriented discussion. We agreed that any misunderstandings or misperceptions will be resolved openly as friends,” he said.
President Prabowo explained that economic cooperation remains a key pillar of the relationship between the two countries. He also said that Indonesia has appointed Danantara Investment Management Agency to implement cross-border electricity trade, along with strengthening collaboration in the fields of energy, digital economy, cybersecurity, food security, supply chain, and defense.
“We have had discussions and achieved significant results in the energy sector, digital economy, and digital ecosystem of cybersecurity. We have agreed to continue our collaboration in the food sector and supply chain. We will also implement our defense cooperation agreement in defense and security sector,” he said.
Furthermore, President Prabowo emphasized that the partnership between Indonesia and Singapore is not only built through government-to-government cooperation but also through people-to-people relations. Therefore, President Prabowo considers strengthened connectivity, tourism, education, and cooperation among youth as crucial in strengthening the relationship between the two countries.
“A strong partnership is built on trust, not only between Governments but also between the people of both countries. Therefore, connectivity, tourism, education, and cooperation among youth are crucial,” President Prabowo stated.
This year’s Leaders’ Retreat reaffirms commitment between Indonesia and Singapore to making the bilateral relations a strategic partnership that is adaptive to global challenges and capable of delivering tangible benefits through cooperation in the economy, investment, energy, defense, digital transformation, and human resource development. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (JAS/MMB)
