Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met with US President Biden at the White House on Tuesday (November 12) to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During his official visit to Washington, Prabowo also congratulated President-elect Trump over the phone.
Prabowo stated, “I will work very hard to strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and the United States. I hope to achieve this goal diligently for a strong and effective partnership.”
After releasing a video of his conversation with Trump, Prabowo met with Biden in the Oval Office.
Prior to his visit to the US, Prabowo had just concluded a visit to China, where he met with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking his first overseas trip since taking office last month.
Indonesia, with the largest population in Southeast Asia, is seen by Washington as an important strategic partner in the region.
While China is an important economic partner for Indonesia, the country has become a major buyer of US weaponry and aims to increase exports of key mineral metals to the West.
During their meeting at the White House, Biden mentioned that the two leaders discussed climate issues, conflicts in the Middle East, and the South China Sea disputes.
On Monday, Indonesia stated that despite signing a maritime development agreement with China, it does not recognize China’s sovereignty claims over the vast majority of the South China Sea.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated in a press conference, “We continue to encourage Indonesia to collaborate with their legal experts to ensure that any agreements reached with China comply with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
Following the meeting, Biden and Prabowo pledged in a joint statement to expedite key mineral negotiations between the two countries.
Last year, resource-rich Indonesia expressed interest in becoming a major player in the electric vehicle and battery manufacturing industry and sought negotiations with the US on key mineral trade agreements to include Indonesian nickel in the scope of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) subsidies.
The two leaders also affirmed their commitment to upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight, supporting Southeast Asian countries in formulating effective and substantive codes of conduct on the tense issue of the South China Sea.
Prabowo’s office stated that upon arriving in Washington on Monday, he immediately phoned Trump. When asked if he planned to meet Trump in person, his office did not respond immediately.
“Mr. Trump, wherever you are, I am willing to personally fly over to congratulate you,” Prabowo said in a video call posted on his social media platform X (link). “As long as you’re willing, we can arrange a meeting anytime,” Trump replied.
Trump praised the Indonesian president as “highly respected” and commended his fluency in English. Prabowo, a former special forces commander, responded, “All my training is American-style.”
Prabowo’s office mentioned that the Indonesian president also met with representatives of several American companies in Washington and urged these companies to invest in Indonesia.
(Reference to related reports from Reuters)