M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The Presidential Secretariate's spokesperson Bey Machmudin on Monday revealed that the meeting between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java was initiated by the President himself.
"The President lives at the Bogor Palace, and as he was aware that Prabowo was in Bogor, Jokowi invited him for lunch," said Bey in a statement on June 19.
Asked why such meetings take place privately between the two men at the Palace, Bey said the President often invites other state ministers to such 'lunch meetings.' Bey was also asked whether the meeting discussed politics, and he answered; "There surely was [talks about politics] and issues that are currently developing, maybe there were also discussions about primary weapons system (Alutsista)."
Previously, Prabowo Subianto suddenly met President Jokowi on the sidelines of the Head of State's visit to Malaysia on Wednesday afternoon, June 7. News of the meeting spread after the spokesperson for the Minister of Defense, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, shared a video of the meeting between the two.
Bey said Prabowo was part of the other ministers who were a delegation accompanying Jokowi to meet Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. After a day, Prabowo returned to meet Jokowi at the State Palace. Prabowo appeared to have come through the Bali Gate in a white Alphard car and did not answer when the media crew asked about the contents of the meeting.
It was only recently discovered that parts of their discussions were related to the Ukrainian and Russian peace proposals. Prabowo previously submitted the peace proposal while attending the Dialogue Defense Summit at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore on Saturday, June 3, and ended in rejection by the two countries.