INDIA, RAKYAT NEWS – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto began his official state visit to India on January 24, 2025, with a meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in New Delhi. The meeting took place at the hotel where President Prabowo was staying.

The event was closed to the media, but according to the Indonesian Ambassador to India, Ina Krisnamurthi, the meeting focused on formalities and was not centered on substantive discussions.

Ambassador Ina explained that such a meeting between the visiting head of state and the Indian Foreign Minister is a long-standing tradition during state visits in India.

The Foreign Minister’s visit is typically the first official engagement, acting as a special envoy from the Indian Prime Minister to welcome the guest of honor. This marks the beginning of the diplomatic activities for the visiting leader.

During the meeting, Minister Jaishankar outlined the series of events and engagements President Prabowo would participate in during his four-day visit, which is scheduled to conclude on January 26. Although the meeting itself did not delve into any major agreements or policy issues, it set the stage for deeper discussions that are expected in subsequent meetings.

Ambassador Ina emphasized that the primary goal of the meeting was to show respect to President Prabowo as both the head of state and head of government of Indonesia, who was invited to attend the 76th Republic Day of India as the chief guest. This honor reflects the significant diplomatic ties between the two countries and highlights the importance of Indonesia’s role in regional and global affairs.