MANILA — Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to bolster the traditionally strong relationship between Indonesia and the Philippines during his visit to Manila.
Prabowo, who will assume the presidency in October, succeeding Joko Widodo, met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after securing 59 percent of the vote in the recent Indonesian general elections.
“Your Excellency, I would like to thank you for receiving me at short notice. I came here today to pay my respects because exactly one month from now, on the 20th of October, God willing, I will be inaugurated as President of the Republic of Indonesia,” Prabowo told Marcos Jr.
“And perhaps it’s the Asian way, our custom, before we enter into a new position, we call on our friends,” he added.
Prabowo stressed the importance of cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines, pointing to their shared cultural and historical ties, as well as their geographic proximity.
“We have common roots, cultural, historical, and by the fact that we are very close neighbors, it behooves us, I think, to always support each other and to work together closely in all fields,” he said.
President Marcos welcomed Prabowo’s visit, underscoring the solid relationship between the two nations, particularly in people-to-people, political, and diplomatic engagements.
“We are about to celebrate our 75th year of relations this November and I think your visit here today will certainly bring a new impetus to making that relationship between Indonesia and the Philippines stronger and deeper,” Marcos told Prabowo.