He said the initiative aims to strengthen relations between the peoples of Indonesia and Brazil.
“As a sign of how important Brazil is to us, I have decided that Portuguese will become one of the priority languages taught in schools,” Prabowo stated during the meeting at the Merdeka Palace on Thursday.
He instructed Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti and Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto to design a curriculum and introduce Portuguese language classes in schools and universities across Indonesia.
At a joint press conference with President Lula, Prabowo reaffirmed that Portuguese will be among the priority foreign languages taught in the national education system.
“I have decided that Portuguese will be a priority language in our education, along with English, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and Russian,” he said.
The bilateral meeting between the Indonesian and Brazilian delegations at the Merdeka Palace lasted for more than an hour.
Several ministers accompanied President Prabowo, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia.
Following the meeting, both leaders witnessed the signing of eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) covering cooperation between government agencies and business entities.
They later delivered a joint press statement to journalists.
President Lula’s state visit to Jakarta from October 22 to 24 was part of his Southeast Asia tour. This was his second visit to Indonesia, following his first in 2008.
The trip also served as a reciprocal visit, as President Prabowo visited the Brazilian Presidential Palace, Palácio do Planalto, in Brasília on July 9, 2025.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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