Negotiations with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on 2 July.

"During the preparations for this visit, and being in Indonesia for the second time during my presidential service, I made sure that there is enough work for Belarusians in Indonesia, and we are committed to working seriously to help you to achieve the goals that you have set before your people and vast country," the President emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the day before, the talks had been held at the level of government members of the two countries, and certain agreements had already been reached. "Our ministers and government members from the Indonesia and Belarus met yesterday and discussed the main issues and the main areas of our work - Belarus in Indonesia and Indonesia in Belarus. I believe they have already agreed on many things," the head of state noted.

"Therefore, we need to formalize these agreements and act without delays or bureaucracy. Only forward," the Belarusian leader stated.

The President noted that the day before, he had also had a good conversation with Prabowo Subianto, which will serve as a foundation for further steps to improve and develop Belarusian-Indonesian relations.

On behalf of the entire Belarusian delegation, Aleksandr Lukashenko thanked the Indonesia President for the friendly reception extended to the Belarusian side.

"The potential of our cooperation is significant. It is not about the fact that you are a giant country, while we are not a great state in comparison with you. But we possess the technologies and competencies that you need. In this regard, we are ready to work with you. In this respect, no topics are off limits. We are not afraid of anyone, just as you in Indonesia are not, because we are doing this not against anyone, but we are doing this for the benefit of our countries and peoples," the Belarusian leader emphasized.

The head of state noted that the signing of the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Indonesia in December 2025 stood as one of the crowning achievements of Belarus' chairmanship of the EAEU last year.

"We share the same determination, you and I, to enable businesses to take full advantage of the opportunities opened up by the new trade regime," the Belarusian leader stated.

During the talks Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed confidence that there is every opportunity to see cars and other machinery produced in Indonesia using Belarusian technologies appearing in large numbers on the streets of Jakarta and other cities of Indonesia.

"We do not want to only trade with you. That is not bad either. But we understand that this is not the right path in the modern world. Therefore, having come to you with our products, we are ready to train a sufficient number of your people here in Indonesia," the head of state said. He noted that while training Indonesian specialists at Belarusian educational institutions is certainly an option, it is a time-consuming process. A more efficient approach, one that Belarus has already successfully employed in other countries, involves hands-on training for engineers directly at local factories, on the shop floors and assembly lines.

Aleksandr Lukashenko highlighted Belarus' strategic geographic position in the center of Europe, which serves as a gateway for Indonesian goods to European markets. "You can always rely on us. You can use Belarus as a gateway to Europe, and we will give you our full backing. We are friends, and we will go to every length to ensure that you never look back on this partnership with regret," the President stated.

The head of state expressed his gratitude once more to Prabowo Subianto for the invitation to visit this vibrant country and for the generous hospitality shown to the Belarusian delegation in the land of a thousand islands.

"Mr President, my dear friend, these are not empty words. Perhaps it is because we are alike in character that we have become friends in such a short span of time. But it is also because we both seek the good of our peoples. We both want to see our nations prosperous and self-reliant," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian leader's previous visit to Indonesia took place some 13 years ago. During the talks, the Indonesian President conveyed a degree of regret that such a lengthy gap had separated the two visits. But from the Belarusian President's perspective, there is a silver lining to this: "The contrast is striking, the momentum unmistakable. The progress you have made in that time is truly remarkable. We see the pace at which you are advancing toward your objectives."

Aleksandr Lukashenko thanked Prabowo Subianto for the invitation to visit the country and for the warm welcome extended to the Belarusian delegation.

"I warmly recall my previous visit to Indonesia back in 2013. I am pleased to note how quickly your beautiful country is changing and how confidently its economy is growing," he said. "I am satisfied that as a result of our visit to Indonesia, following the talks with the Indonesian President in Minsk, and thanks to the work of our ministers, the entire delegation, and business representatives, we have already signed contracts worth tens of millions of dollars."

The head of state noted that he and his Indonesian counterpart had planned this visit a year ago. "I say this so that people in Belarus understand that this visit is absolutely scheduled. We agreed long ago that we would meet here, discuss our plans and our roadmap, which is exactly what we have done," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

"Our countries have been bound by sincere friendship and fruitful cooperation for more than 30 years. In fact, much longer, because at the time diplomatic relations were established in 1993, there was already experience of interaction between our republic, the BSSR, and Indonesia. From the very first sessions of the UN General Assembly, the Belarusian delegation spoke out categorically against the colonial oppression of Indonesia and demanded an end to attempts to stifle Indonesian independence by military means," the head of state stated. "You successfully dealt with that problem. Today, in international organizations, Minsk and Jakarta demonstrate alignment of goals and support each other."

"You have set ambitious goals for your country. We stand by you," Aleksandr Lukashenko assured.

Belarus and Indonesia have agreed to introduce a visa waiver for Belarusian citizens and to launch a direct air route.

"I thank you for the decision made today to open an embassy, to waive visas for our citizens, and to launch a direct air route," the head of state said.

"Belarusians are not just taking a closer look at Indonesia as a very interesting tourist destination. Many have already discovered it for themselves. Our delegations paid special attention to the topic of mutual travel," Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. "Therefore, the opening of an embassy, the lifting of visa restrictions, and the introduction of visa waiver for Belarusians to Indonesia, just as it works for Indonesian citizens [traveling to Belarus], is a major step forward."