“We remain firmly non-aligned. We will not take sides with any bloc. We’ve conveyed this everywhere, our foreign policy is independent and active. We want peace with all nations,” President Prabowo stated in his address at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Friday.
He stressed that war is disruptive and emphasized that Indonesia does not want to be involved in any war, making every effort to avoid it.
“We do not want war. We must avoid war. That is why the foreign policy I uphold and declare is: a thousand friends are too few, and one enemy is too many,” he stated.
During his speech, the Head of State also highlighted Indonesia’s recent milestone in global diplomacy — becoming a full member of BRICS as of January 6, 2025. He described the move as part of Indonesia’s broader efforts to uphold national sovereignty on the global stage.
“We are asserting Indonesia’s sovereignty on the world stage. We made the decision for Indonesia to join BRICS,” Prabowo said.
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Following its BRICS accession, Indonesia is now processing its membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), potentially making it the first Southeast Asian country to do so.
The President, Indonesia’s eighth, also underscored the country’s commitment to resolving all outstanding issues, particularly those involving neighboring countries.
He warned against attempts by certain parties to pit Indonesia against Malaysia, describing it as part of a divide-and-conquer strategy. However, Prabowo reiterated that Indonesia refuses to be provoked or divided.
“There are attempts to pit us against Malaysia. But we are friends, we share the same roots. The politics of divide and conquer still exists. Let’s not be naive; let’s not keep falling for these efforts to turn us against each other,” he stated.
Ahead of Independence Day on August 17, Indonesia convened the MPR Annual Session and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) on Friday morning.
During the sessions, Prabowo delivered the State Address and a speech outlining the government's performance reports.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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