During a recent bilateral meeting between India and Indonesia, a moment of candid recognition stole the spotlight. As External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar introduced himself, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto warmly responded, “I know you, you are very famous.” Known for his sharp and assertive responses that often go viral on social media, Jaishankar has become a global figure for challenging Western and European narratives against India with remarkable ease.
Jaishankar’s brief interaction with the Indonesian President took place ahead of the bilateral meeting when the Indian foreign minister entered the room after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the newly elected President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This was the first meeting of the two leaders.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Subianto on his assumption of office. “The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in the framework of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They discussed cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence and security, connectivity, tourism, health, and people-to-people ties. Both leaders noted that India and Indonesia are commemorating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations and called for celebrating the occasion in a befitting manner,” said the MEA in a statement.
The statement further added that the two leaders also exchanged views on global and regional issues. Discussing their close collaboration within the G 20, they called for giving primacy to the concerns of the Global South. They also reviewed ongoing cooperation in multilateral and plurilateral arenas, including ASEAN.
