Jakarta. Senior Gerindra Party politician Sugiono officially became Indonesia’s foreign minister under President Prabowo Subianto’s freshly established Merah Putih cabinet.

Prabowo finally announced the final line-up of his cabinet on Sunday night. The former army general earlier that day had officially assumed his role as Indonesia’s eighth president. In an expanded cabinet, Prabowo picked Sugiono to be in charge of carrying out his “good neighbor” diplomacy.

“Sugiono will be Indonesia’s foreign affairs minister,” Prabowo said.

Sugiono has a military background as a first lieutenant but decided to retire early in 2004. Despite his retirement, Sugiono continued to be Prabowo’s secretary. He eventually became a cadre to Prabowo’s Gerindra Party. Sugiono was among the young politicians -- whom Prabowo dubbed “Jedi Knights” -- to help the latter with his 2014 presidential bid -- a nickname inspired by the powerful guardians of justice in the popular sci-fi franchise “Star Wars”. Sugiono even earned the nickname as being Prabowo’s “ideological child”.

Sugiono is currently Gerindra’s deputy chairman. Prior to his ministerial post, he was previously the deputy chair of Commission I at the House of Representatives. This legislative commission is in charge of dealing with foreign affairs and defense matters, among others.

This marked the first time in many years that the government had a foreign minister who was not a career diplomat. The last non-career diplomat foreign minister was Alwi Shihab who assumed the ministerial post under Former President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in 1991-2001.

Sugiono officially replaced two-term foreign minister Retno Marsudi, who will soon start her job as the UN special envoy on water. 

For the first time in Indonesian history, a foreign minister will have three deputy ministers. They are Permanent Representative to the UN Arrmanatha Nasir, Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Arif Havas Oegroseno, and Gelora Party chairman Muhammad Anis Matta. Gelora is part of the Advanced Indonesia alliance that backed Prabowo when he ran for president in the 2024 election. 

All ministers will take their oath of office on Monday morning. Their respective predecessors will officially hand over the ministerial jobs later that day. As foreign minister, Sugiono is expected to conduct Prabowo’s diplomacy strategy of making friends with everyone while keeping an anti-colonialism stance.

“We do not want to disturb other nations, but we also do not allow any nation to disturb us,” Prabowo said in his inaugural speech over the weekend.

Prabowo officially named his ministerial cabinet: the Merah Putih (‘Red and White’) cabinet -- inspired by the colors of the Indonesian flag.

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