Indonesian President-elect Prabowo touted as foreign policy president

JAKARTA, INDONESIA — 

Analysts expect a departure successful benignant and substance from Prabowo Subianto, acceptable to beryllium inaugurated Sunday arsenic Indonesia’s eighth president, compared to predecessor Joko Widodo.

“Prabowo volition beryllium a overseas argumentation president and person a hands-on attack successful dealing with overseas argumentation matters,” said Fadli Zon, his longtime governmental enactment confidant and the chairperson of the House Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation.

“Just look astatine his benignant of diplomacy. He has personally met planetary leaders of ample countries adjacent earlier helium is inaugurated.”

Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who led Indonesia from 2004 to 2014, has made a akin prediction.

“Pak Probowo, ‘you are connected the close track’ and person go ‘foreign argumentation President,’ helium wrote successful Indonesian connected the societal media level X pursuing Probowo’s remarks astatine the Shangri-la Dialogue 2024 forum successful Singapore earlier this year. “Good luck and transportation on!”

Indonesia held the rotating G20 presidency nether Widodo and spearheaded diplomatic initiatives for bid successful Myanmar arsenic seat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations past year. Widodo was besides the archetypal authorities person to sojourn Ukraine and Russia aft Russia’s full-scale penetration of its neighbor.

Widodo nevertheless mostly focused connected home affairs and has ne'er attended the United Nations General Assembly. Most of Indonesia’s overseas diplomacy was led by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Prabowo has visited much than 20 countries successful the past six months arsenic defence minister, and helium met with authorities leaders successful China, Japan, Australia, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. He is the archetypal president-elect to person gone connected an overseas circuit to strategical planetary spouse countries earlier assuming office.

Associate Professor Teuku Rezasyah from Bandung's Padjajaran University said this indicates helium volition beryllium progressive internationally and is funny successful gathering enactment and spot with planetary leaders aboriginal on.

While these meetings highlighted defence issues, the sessions included wider bilateral and geopolitical issues.

Prabowo, who lived successful respective countries successful his youth, speaks English, Dutch, German and French.

Indonesia arsenic influential mediate power

Calvin Khoe, pb expert astatine FPCI Research & Analysis, wrote successful an East-West Center Asia-Pacific Bulletin that "Indonesia enjoys respective comparative advantages that empower it arsenic an activistic federation and differentiate it arsenic a mediate power." He added that Prabowo “will strive to marque Indonesia an adjacent much influential mediate power."

Khoe pointed retired that successful a Newsweek interview, Prabowo said Indonesia “must go much assertive successful its overseas policy, bilaterally oregon multilaterally done its engagement successful the U.N., OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation], ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and much responsive to shaping the geopolitical realities of our region.”

However, Dinna Prapto Raharja, laminitis of Jakarta-based Synergy Policies, said she expects Prabowo to amusement little enthusiasm for ASEAN than Widodo, who had said the Southeast Asian bloc was the cornerstone of his overseas policy.

“So, for idiosyncratic who is speedy and pragmatic similar Prabowo, I deliberation helium would not person capable patience to spell done the nook and crannies of ASEAN. We’ve seen successful the past 10 years however constricted ASEAN resources tin beryllium to really marque interaction astatine the authorities level.

“ASEAN astatine the people-to-people cooperation, I deliberation volition stay important. But I deliberation helium volition privation to instrumentality shortcuts to guarantee timekeeping is much efficient.”

Resolving Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Prabowo has made the Israeli-Palestinian struggle a signature issue, indicating astatine the caller International Conference connected Gaza successful Jordan and the Shangri-La Dialogue successful Singapore that Indonesia volition support, lend and facilitate each efforts toward a two-state solution.

These efforts whitethorn see the deployment of peacekeeping troops, aerial assets and a infirmary ship, on with aesculapian unit to tally a tract infirmary successful Gaza.

Dinna said Probowo’s champion prospects for impacting the struggle prevarication with the International Criminal Court and the U.N. Security Council.

“We've seen however Middle Eastern countries, since the Abrahamic Accord, has been divided to antithetic standings,” she said.

“So, if Indonesia wants to beryllium quick, 1 of the astir effectual steps it tin instrumentality is done multilateral forums. Indonesia tin besides make caucuses successful antithetic agencies to physique stronger voices, and besides consult the secretary-general, who I'm definite is precise overmuch frustrated with the situation.”

Balancing planetary superpowers

On different issues, Khoe said Prabowo has appealed to China and the United States to beryllium liable planetary powers, arguing that the 2 planetary powers tin co-exist, cooperate and collaborate.

Speaking astatine the Center for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia during the campaign, Prabowo committed himself to the rule of good-neighbor diplomacy, which stresses the value of gathering a web of beardown friendships with each countries successful the portion to guarantee stableness and economical growth.

In presumption of Indonesia’s relations with China, Dinna said that Indonesia volition proceed to collaborate with China, Indonesia’s largest trading spouse and a large capitalist successful the country.

Prabowo is expected to stay cautious, however, regarding China’s assertive posture successful the South China Sea. China's nine-dash line, which it claims to delineate its past sportfishing grounds, overlaps with Indonesia's exclusive economical portion adjacent Indonesia’s Natuna islands.

“I think, archetypal and foremost, helium would besides marque definite that helium attends each the meetings and dialog forums. This clip helium is not going to conscionable nonstop the overseas minister,” Dinna added.

“I deliberation this is what's going to beryllium antithetic betwixt him and Joko Widodo. He is going to marque definite helium tin speech successful idiosyncratic with [Chinese President] Xi arsenic president. He is besides a precise assured antheral successful approaching different large countries funny successful keeping the South China Sea safe.”

Although Prabowo has traveled the globe successful caller months, helium has yet to sojourn the United States. Observers accidental helium is apt to hold for the U.S. statesmanlike predetermination results earlier helium decides to bash so.

Reuters reported that 36 authorities leaders volition be Prabowo’s inauguration. The United States is sending a six-person delegation led by U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and including Admiral Samuel Paparo, the commandant of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.