President Prabowo Subianto Receives Qatar Defense Minister at Istana Merdeka

President Prabowo Subianto (left) receives the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar and Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani in the Presidential Working Room, Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday, June 1. (BPMI Secretariat President)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto received the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday.

In the meeting, the official broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat, said Sheikh Saoud conveyed a special message from the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to President Prabowo.

In the working room of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Istana Merdeka, the meeting between President Prabowo and the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar was closed, including regarding the special message from the Emir of Qatar to President Prabowo was also not revealed by the Palace.

"Sheikh Saoud conveyed a special message from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to President Prabowo. The Head of State also welcomed the message and attention conveyed by the Emir of Qatar, and emphasized Indonesia's commitment to continue to strengthen bilateral relations with Qatar," said the official statement of the Presidential Secretariat.

Previously, President Prabowo and the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar had discussed a number of issues related to the follow-up of cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, including those that had been agreed upon by the two countries in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) of cooperation signed on April 13, 2025.

The signing ceremony of the MoU, which concerns the Strategic Dialogue between the Indonesian Government and the Government of Qatar, was witnessed directly by President Prabowo and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha, Qatar.

The establishment of a strategic dialogue forum between the two countries aims to encourage more intensive cooperation in various strategic fields, including foreign policy and international and regional issues, defense and security, counter-terrorism, the economy, especially trade and investment, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people relations.

The Presidential Secretariat described the meeting between President Prabowo and the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar as taking place in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

The meeting was a forum to strengthen communication and good relations between Indonesia and Qatar.

"The meeting between President Prabowo and Sheikh Saoud took place in a constructive atmosphere with a spirit of mutual respect," the statement read.

This meeting is part of Indonesia and Qatar's ongoing efforts to strengthen a strategic partnership that not only benefits both countries, but also contributes to regional stability and prosperity, according to a presidential secretariat official statement.