PM Marape Invites Prabowo To Attend The Commemoration Of Papua New Guinea's 50th Anniversary

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape (right) met at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday (21/8/2024). (doc the Ministry of Defense)

JAKARTA - President-elect of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto was invited by Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape to attend the PNG 50th Anniversary commemoration ceremony at Port Moresby, PNG, on September 16, 2025.

Prabowo, who received the invitation directly from PM Marape, also promised to fulfill the invitation.

"On behalf of this country, I invited him to attend our 50th Anniversary commemoration ceremony next year, and he immediately answered that he accepted the invitation and would return here for the anniversary ceremony," said PM Marape during a press conference with Prabowo after the two met at the PM PNG Office, Port Moresby, Wednesday, August 21.

On the same occasion, Prabowo also invited PM Marape to attend his inauguration ceremony and Gibran Rakabuming Raka as president-vice president for the 2024 '2029 period on October 20, 2024.

The Australian Prime Minister also accepted the invitation. So, we will both go there together as three countries (RI, Australia, PNG) who are neighbors to each other in the central area of the Indo-Pacific region. We are in the heart of Indo-Pacific. Therefore, I accept this invitation on behalf of all of us to attend the inauguration ceremony in Indonesia," said PM Marape.

At the same event, Prabowo welcomed the willingness of PM Marape to attend the inauguration ceremony.

"I also want you to be the first foreign leader to visit my house in Jakarta," Prabowo told PM Marape.

During the press conference, Prabowo also joked, he and PM Marape had something in common. "The similarity between me and PM Marape, he is PM 8 PNG, and God willing, I will be the 8th president of the Republic of Indonesia," Prabowo said.

Prabowo continued his journey from Canberra, Australia, to Port Moresby, PNG, Wednesday, to meet PM Marape. During the event, Prabowo and Marape emphasized their commitment to maintaining good relations between RI-PNG and expanding the fields of cooperation.

Prabowo emphasized several issues at the meeting, including those related to economic, education, industry, mining, defense, and culture. Meanwhile, PM Marape emphasized that two countries need to improve inter-citizen relations (people-to-people) and businesses (B2B).