President Prabowo Subianto has congratulated Donald Trump in a phone call and may meet the president-elect in person this week as he seeks to build links with the incoming administration.
“Wherever you are, I’m willing to fly to congratulate you personally,” Prabowo told Trump, according to a video of the call on his social media accounts.
Trump said they could meet “anytime you want” and praised the “great, great job” the Indonesian leader is doing. Prabowo’s younger brother and adviser, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, separately said the two leaders will meet in Washington this week.
Prabowo’s first overseas trip since taking office on Oct 20 saw him visit Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing before he headed for the US as he tries to balance relations with both countries.
Prabowo, who won February’s election after two failed attempts, may find common ground with Trump because they are both strongman leaders whose populist appeal is rooted in nationalism, according to Achmad Sukarsono, a Singapore-based associate director at Control Risks who focuses on Indonesia.
“They are men who come from the same generation whose global outlook is shaped by the Cold War and north-south divide,” Sukarsono said. “They are both old- money elites who know the value of financial power and high-level negotiations.”
Prabowo, whose father held ministerial positions in various Indonesian governments, married the daughter of former dictator Suharto and spent decades in the military before being dismissed over alleged human right abuses in which he denied wrongdoing.
The US imposed a travel ban on Prabowo that was lifted near the end of Trump’s first term in office and he visited Washington as defense minister in 2020.
The Indonesian leader met incumbent Joe Biden yesterday, with the White House saying talks focused on issues ranging from cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to food security, clean energy and regional peace and stability.
On Monday, Prabowo met Secretary of State Antony Blinken as well as executives including Freeport McMoRan Inc CEO Kathleen Quirk, S&P Global Inc Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin and GE Healthcare Technologies Inc CEO Peter Arduini, according to a statement from his office. Prabowo praised the businesses and America’s engagement with the Indonesian economy, and said he had encouraged them to invest.
In their call, Prabowo also expressed relief that Trump had survived an assassination attempt in July. “Whenever you’re around, you let me know and I might also get to your country some time,” Trump said. “You’re a very respected person and I give you credit for that.” — Bloomberg
