During the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 held in Singapore, an interesting moment took place when Indonesian Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto met with Timor Leste President Jose Manuel Ramos Horta.
Prabowo and Horta warmly embraced and chatted as they walked together to the dinner table on Friday (31/5). Prabowo, dressed in a black suit, was seen laughing, embracing, and patting Horta on the shoulder. The atmosphere of their discussion was filled with warmth.
During a Q&A session, Prabowo mentioned how Indonesia, which had conflicts with Timor Leste in the past, has now become close friends with them.
“Imagine, now I am sitting with Ramos Horta. He invited me to Timor Leste and I am considering attending,” said Prabowo.
Prabowo also mentioned that Indonesia has a long history with neighboring countries such as Timor Leste, Malaysia, and Singapore. Despite past conflicts, efforts to reduce tensions have been ongoing.
“We resolved our differences without any external interference. We settled our disputes with Malaysia and Singapore,” said Prabowo.
“Now we are like brothers. We are talking about building a bridge between Singapore and Batam, a bridge between Malaysia and Indonesia,” he added.
