Jakarta. Indonesian citizens living in the United States gave a warm welcome to President Prabowo Subianto as he arrived in Washington DC on Sunday as part of his two-week overseas trip that began with China.

Prabowo landed at Andrews Military Base, where he was greeted by Acting Chief of US Protocol Ethan Rosenzweig, US Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, Acting Indonesian Ambassador to the US Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, the Indonesian Defense Attaché in Washington DC Air Vice Marshal TNI Wisoko Aribowo, and Gustaav Ferdinandus, the Protocol and Consular Affairs Officer of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC.

Upon arrival, Prabowo proceeded to his hotel, where his entourage was met with enthusiastic cheers from members of the Indonesian diaspora who had gathered outside despite the chilly weather.

One member of the diaspora, Diana from New York, expressed her joy at meeting President Prabowo, saying that she had been waiting for this moment since 2014. She began her journey around 4:00 a.m., traveling a long distance just to see him.

"We arrived here this morning, and even though our bus was delayed, forcing us to take another one, it was all worth it to meet President Prabowo. I was moved to tears, so touched by our struggle. Praise be to God, Mr. Prabowo is now president. We love you, Sir!” Diana said.

Meanwhile, Fauzan, an Indonesian student in the United States, expressed hope that the visit would strengthen Indonesia-US relations, particularly in economic, security, and educational sectors.

"We were very happy to meet the President here, as his visit signifies a closer relationship between Indonesia and America," Fauzan said.

Prabowo is scheduled to meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. His delegation includes Foreign Minister Sugiono, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.

Prior to his arrival in Washington DC, President Prabowo visited Beijing, where he met with Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Qiang, and National People's Congress Chairman Zhao Leji.
 

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