Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto is set to attend the G20 Summit in the Brazilian seaside city of Rio de Janeiro, according to Foreign Minister Sugiono.

Leaders of the G20 will convene in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18-19. Brazil currently assumes the rotating presidency of the group that brings together 20 of the world’s largest economies. 

Indonesia was at the helm of the G20 in 2022 and held its leaders’ summit in the tourist resort of Bali. It was also a challenging time for Indonesia as the summit took place amid the raging Ukraine-Russia war. Sugiono did not say what Prabowo would push forward in the G20 meeting. The government will likely reveal more details about the Brazil trip when it is close to the summit date. Sugiono, however, said that Prabowo’s presence at the G20 Summit reaffirms Indonesia’s role as a “bridge builder” between advanced and developing economies.

Prabowo does not plan on changing Indonesia’s so-called “free and active” foreign policy. This approach sees Indonesia befriending everyone without feeling obliged to take sides. Prabowo also proposed a “good neighbor” policy when he was sworn in as Indonesia’s eighth president over the weekend. The “good neighbor” policy will have Indonesia trying to make friends with all countries but will speak up against colonialism.

Prabowo brought up the G20 in his inaugural speech as president over the weekend. The ex-army general at the time said that a G20 membership was nothing to be proud of when many Indonesians still struggled with hunger and poverty. Prabowo also made a similar statement when he chaired the first plenary meeting of the Red and White Cabinet. 

"I have said many times that an independent country is when people feel independent. … Don’t be proud just because we are G20 members when many of our people are still poor and hungry,” Prabowo told his ministers at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

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