He made the remarks before leaving for India from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, on Thursday.
"India is an important country for Indonesia, a friendly country, one of the countries that supports our struggle for independence," he said.
"They were the first to gain independence in 1947 and continued to support our struggle for independence; we still fought a war of independence until 1949," he noted.
In addition, Prabowo said that India is actively providing support to Indonesia, ranging from medical assistance to finance.
He then highlighted that their historical relationship is a strong foundation for the two countries to strengthen cooperation in various fields.
"For Indonesia, India is a friendly country and an important partner," he said.
In India, he will seek to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership forged between the two countries in 2018.
He will also finalize several memorandums of understanding on cooperation in areas ranging from health, cultural program exchanges, security issues, maritime safety, and technology and digital development.
The state visit is scheduled from January 24–26, 2025.
In his speech, the head of state also noted the need to strengthen cooperative relations with Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Brunei as the founding countries and driving countries of ASEAN.
After visiting India, Prabowo will head to Malaysia. He said that Indonesia and Malaysia have an important role in encouraging strategic cooperation in ASEAN.
"Malaysia, our close neighbor, shares the same cultural, ethnic, and historical background. We have many similarities and we will work together with other countries in ASEAN," he added.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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