Prabowo Admires Nelson Mandela, Indonesia 'Afsel Agrees To Strengthen South Global Cooperation

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto called Nelson Mandela a figure he admired and inspired his life struggle.

If you come to my party's headquarters, you will see a big photo of Nelson Mandela. We follow his struggle and admire his strength and enthusiasm for freedom and democracy," Prabowo said at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, October 22.

The remarks were conveyed by President Prabowo in front of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a state visit marking a new chapter of relations between the two countries.

"We want to strengthen this relationship. Indonesia and South Africa are both major countries in the south. We participate in the BRICS forum, and we want closer relations," President Prabowo continued.

President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in a warm tone. He called his visit to Indonesia a great honor and recalled the long friendship between the two nations since the 1955 Asian Africa Conference in Bandung.

The Bandung Conference is a source of inspiration for the leaders of our struggle. Indonesia is a steadfast ally in fighting apartheid. We will always be grateful for the support and solidarity of the Indonesian people," said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The South African leader also emphasized the importance of economic partnerships between the two countries, including in the framework of BRICS and the G20 cooperation. We want to see concrete cooperation in trade, industry, defense and agriculture. Challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality can only be overcome with fair collaboration," he stressed.

Today's meeting was also attended by ministers in charge of trade, industry, defense and agriculture from the two countries. President Prabowo welcomed the invitation for cooperation immediately. He is committed to sending the Indonesian delegation to South Africa to follow up on the results of the meeting. "We are committed to strengthening this relationship and will immediately send a delegation to South Africa," he concluded.