Jakarta. Old friends retired army general Wiranto and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had a nostalgic meeting at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta on Sunday afternoon. 

The Bruneian sultan is currently in Jakarta to attend newly installed President Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration ceremony, which had taken place earlier that day. Many other ASEAN leaders also flew to Jakarta to see Prabowo taking his oath of office in person. 

Wiranto and Bolkiah’s friendship dates back to the late 1990s. Wiranto at the time was the commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces. Wiranto and Bolkiah had mainly worked together on enhancing both Southeast Asia’s stability and bilateral relations. 

However, the recent Jakarta meeting did not only focus on the past. The talks also revolved around potential bilateral cooperation in defense, economy, as well as education. 

Wiranto told Bolkiah that Indonesia would continue to bolster ties with Brunei under the Prabowo government, particularly in areas that could be strategically mutually beneficial for both countries. They also agreed that it would be best to forge stronger ties amidst rising global challenges.