The Prabowo Lula summit in Jakarta brought together two presidents who share similar views on independence, development, and the role of the Global South. President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Merdeka Palace on Thursday, describing the meeting as “a conversation between equals.”
Lula’s arrival, his first in Indonesia in 17 years, carried more than ceremony. He called Indonesia a “strategic partner” in pushing for fairer global trade and stronger cooperation among developing nations. “Together we represent nearly 500 million people,” he said, proposing joint work in technology, education, and renewable energy. Both leaders agreed that closer collaboration, from data centers to student exchanges, could lift living standards in both countries.
Renewing a long partnership
The Jakarta talks revived the 2008 strategic partnership between the two nations. It was also Lula’s return gesture after Prabowo’s July visit to Brasília, where the two discussed UN reform and recalled the historic Bandung Conference that linked Asia and Latin America in the 1950s. This time, the tone was pragmatic: expand trade, invite new investment, and explore projects in artificial intelligence and green industry.
Indonesia gave the visit full honors: cavalry escorts, the national anthems, and a guard inspection in the Merdeka Palace courtyard. Behind the ceremony, both leaders spent several hours in private discussions before releasing a joint statement outlining plans for broader cooperation across politics, the economy, and culture.
Indonesia’s diplomacy on the move
The Prabowo Lula summit fits into a wider pattern. In his first year as president, Prabowo has traveled to 24 countries and met world leaders including Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, and Anwar Ibrahim. His September appearance at the UN General Assembly (the first by an Indonesian leader in a decade) signaled a return to high-profile diplomacy. There, he pushed for Palestinian independence and stronger global cooperation through the UN system.
Trade and investment have also been part of the strategy. Indonesia recently finalized economic agreements with the European Union, Canada, and Peru and secured more than US$40 billion in investment pledges since late 2024.
A broader global role
Political analysts see the Prabowo Lula summit as a sign of Indonesia’s growing confidence abroad. “Prabowo has shown he can connect personally with leaders even when opinions differ,” noted international relations scholar Teuku Rezasyah. Others suggest that Jakarta could use this momentum to advocate UN reform, take a stronger role in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and strengthen ties across the Indo-Pacific.
With four years left in his term, Prabowo is positioning Indonesia as a bridge between continents — one that seeks cooperation, not confrontation, and builds lasting friendships from Jakarta to Brasília.
