JakartaPost-Sept 25, 2025
President Prabowo Subianto stressed Indonesia’s commitment to multilateralism, peace and a two-state solution for Palestine during his debut appearance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), delivering a fiery 19-minute speech that analysts saw as an attempt to position himself as a friend-for-all on the world stage. All eyes turned to New York on Tuesday as world leaders gathered for the 80th UNGA general debate, the most closely watched session at the world’s largest multilateral forum, amid heightened global tensions over unresolved conflicts and crises. Chaired by former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, leaders have been expected to focus mainly on UN reforms, the escalating climate crisis and Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Middle East, taking turns to deliver their country’s positioning over these key issues over the next week. For the first time in a decade, Indonesia was represented at the general debate by its head of state, Prabowo, who secured the rare third speaking slot in the forum that traditionally opens with statements from Brazil and the United States. That Indonesia was finally represented by its leader is a long-awaited diplomatic relief for Jakarta, said analysts who celebrated Prabowo’s appearance as key in underlining the country’s commitment to multilateral cooperation despite disfavoring global trends. Ahmad Rizky M. Umar from the Aberystwyth University told The Jakarta Post, “he wants to appear as a friend on the world stage, though I’m not sure how this will reflect on the optics of Indonesian foreign policy.” Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2025/09/25/prabowo-pushes-two-state-solution-multilateralism-in-debut-unga-speech.html.
