JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto made a state visit to Thailand, Monday (19/5) in order to strengthen bilateral relations and explore strategic cross-sector cooperation between Indonesia and Thailand.
This visit is an important momentum, marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and opening up new opportunities for cooperation in various fields.
The visit agenda began with an official audience between President Prabowo and the King of Thailand, His Majesty Maha Vajiralongkorn, at the Amphorn Royal Palace, Bangkok. The meeting became a symbol of the close diplomatic relations and high respect from the Kingdom of Thailand to Indonesia.
Next, President Prabowo was officially welcomed by the Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, at Government House. The welcoming ceremony was solemn, accompanied by the national anthems of both countries, an inspection of the honor guard, and the introduction of the official delegations of each party.
In a bilateral meeting, President Prabowo and PM Paetongtarn agreed to strengthen cooperation in a number of important sectors, including defense and security, trade and investment, food and energy security, halal industry, digital economy, and regional and global issues.
“We agreed to enhance security cooperation through visits and closer dialogue between leaders and between institutions,” President Prabowo said at a joint press conference in Bangkok.
In the economic sector, both countries are committed to expanding trade and investment cooperation which has now reached a value of USD 18 billion. Both parties also agreed to hold the First Joint Trade Commission meeting in the near future to deepen economic synergy.
“We emphasize to strengthen trade and investment relations. We want to increase this already high trade figure to a more strategic level,” Prabowo added.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian-Thailand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hardy Chandra, appreciated President Prabowo’s visit which was considered to open many new cooperation opportunities. According to him, the Indonesia-Thailand trade relationship is still dominated by exports of raw materials from Indonesia and finished goods from Thailand.
“We hope that with the President’s visit, we can expand cooperation, especially in the clean energy and health sectors. We are optimistic that there will be diversification of cooperation sectors, especially energy, fintech, and agriculture,” said Hardy.
In addition, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the health sector and education cooperation was also signed as a form of commitment to strengthening social cooperation between the two nations. Collaboration in community development was also strengthened through the synergy of Indonesia Aid and Thailand International Cooperation Agency.
In the tourism sector, PM Paetongtarn welcomed the plan to open a new flight route between Bangkok, Surabaya, Medan, and Phuket. In addition, he also praised Prabowo’s commitment to supporting Thai companies in Indonesia.
“I thank Mr. Prabowo for his support for Thai companies and fair investment. This connectivity will enhance tourism exchanges and strengthen the MICE sector and health tourism,” Paetongtarn said.
The visit ended with an official luncheon at Government House, reinforcing the spirit of friendship and shared determination to build a more inclusive and strategic partnership in the future.
