Jakarta – Indonesia’s move to join and be active in the Board of Peace (BoP) forum through President Prabowo Subianto’s meeting with United States President Donald Trump in Washington is considered a strategic maneuver that reflects the intelligence to read the direction of global geopolitics.
Amidst the fluid and uncertain international dynamics, Indonesia has not chosen to remain passive, but rather has taken the initiative to safeguard its national interests.
Political observer Agung Baskoro believes that Indonesia’s ability to quickly grasp the momentum sets it apart from many other countries. In a situation where the United States’ tariff policies against several countries were being questioned, Indonesia was seen as having secured strategic agreements that directly impacted market access.
“While many countries are still calculating and waiting, Indonesia has chosen to act. This is what is called boundary-pushing diplomacy. It goes beyond the bounds of normalcy of other countries,” Agung said.
The 19 percent tariff agreement and zero percent tariff facility for 1,819 leading Indonesian products, he said, are concrete instruments to strengthen national export competitiveness.
This policy does not stand alone, but is part of a strategy to expand market access and maintain demand stability amidst intense global competition.
“Well-maintained relations give us a stronger bargaining position. This isn’t about getting closer to a major power, but rather ensuring national economic interests are protected. In a competitive world, speed and accuracy in predicting the momentum are key,” he explained.
Indonesia’s position in the BoP forum is also considered to be strengthening. Prabowo is the only leader to have held a bilateral meeting with Trump. In his speech, Trump even expressed admiration for Prabowo and joked that he didn’t want to fight him, a gesture seen as having significant diplomatic significance.
“This kind of gesture may sound trivial, but in diplomacy, symbols and body language carry meaning. They signal personal closeness that can open up wider negotiation opportunities,” Agung explained.
He also emphasized that this achievement was not just a political image.
“It’s not just about political image building, but a clear calculation of costs and benefits. The end result is that it gives Indonesia room to increase exports and expand employment,” he said.
This maneuver demonstrates Indonesia’s growing confidence in positioning itself as an active and adaptive middle power. By appropriately capitalizing on global momentum, Indonesia demonstrates its ability to read the direction of change and translate it into strategic advantages for the national interest.