s President Prabowo Subianto heads to Malaysia and South Korea for two major regional summits, analysts say Indonesia must reclaim its leadership role in Southeast Asia and steer the region’s collective voice amid shifting global dynamics.
Observers note that redirecting Jakarta’s diplomacy toward the region, after a year marked by international outreach, would reaffirm Indonesia’s long-standing commitment to ASEAN centrality.
Prabowo’s packed diplomatic week begins Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, where Southeast Asian leaders will gather for the 47th ASEAN Summit to discuss economic, political and security issues with key global partners.
The three-day meeting is expected to focus on the prolonged crisis in Myanmar, the bloc’s political centrality and the need to safeguard regional economic stability amid global uncertainty. Around 80 outcome documents are anticipated.
One of the most closely watched ASEAN gatherings in recent years, the summit will bring together a wide range of leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, attending the forum for the first time, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told local media that trade, and the situation in Gaza, would also be among the main topics during ASEAN’s dialogue with Trump.
Preparations for Prabowo’s bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit are ongoing, said Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, the Foreign Ministry’s ASEAN cooperation secretary-general.