President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets with Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo Subianto during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace on September 20, 2024. Marianne Bermudez, PPA pool 

Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen the traditionally close relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia during his visit to Manila, Friday.

Prabowo, who is set to take over Joko Widodo as Indonesian President in October, paid a courtesy visit to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, months after he won the Indonesian general elections with 59 percent of the total votes.

“Your Excellency, I would like to thank you for receiving me at short notice. I came here today to pay my respects because exactly one month from now, on the 20th of October, God willing, I will be inaugurated as President of the Republic of Indonesia,” Prabowo told Marcos Jr.

 “And perhaps it’s the Asian way, our custom, before we enter into a new position, we call on our friends.”

Prabowo emphasized the need for the Philippines and Indonesia to support each other and collaborate closely, citing their shared cultural and historical roots.

“We have common roots, cultural, historical, and by the fact that we are very close neighbors, it behooves us, I think, to always support each other and to work together closely in all fields,” he said.

Marcos said Prabowo’s visit showed the strength of Philippine and Indonesian ties, particularly on the people-to-people, political, and diplomatic front.

“We are about to celebrate our 75th year of relations this November and I think your visit here today will certainly bring a new impetus to making that relationship between Indonesia and the Philippines stronger and deeper,” the President told Subianto. 

How Indonesian authorities busted Alice Guo's sister, alleged cohort