Jakarta – Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan on Thursday praised President Prabowo Subianto, his rival in the February presidential election, on his first international tour as president in recent days, saying that he had brought respectability back to Indonesia.
Anies said that not only would the meetings have productive outcomes for Indonesia, on a personal level President Prabowo was presenting himself as a figure of dignity on the international stage.
"I believe that with this international trip carried out by President Prabowo, the meetings have been productive. In terms of Indonesia's representation, in front of these international leaders, we certainly look dignified," Anies told reporters in a press briefing at his private residence in South Jakarta.
Anies also gave President Prabowo credit for being able to stand on an equal footing with other world leaders.
"When Pak Prabowo brings the name of Indonesia to these global leaders, the atmosphere of equality is visible and this is good for Indonesia," Anies said.
Late last week, Prabowo set off for China for his first international trip as president, kicking off a tour that will include stops in the United States, United Kingdom and South America for the APEC and G20 summits.
Prabowo, who won the presidency in February at his third attempt, has signaled he is keen to play an active role on the international stage, demonstrated by his visits to 21 countries during the time he was president-elect.
Earlier this week, he met his US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington but he failed to secure a meeting with president-elect Donald Trump.
He will go to the UK to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and may also visit several countries in the Middle East, he said. His office has not provided dates for any of the visits.
Prabowo's international tour is a radical departure from how his predecessor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo handled foreign policy.
In his two terms as president Jokowi only made a handful of international trips and never once attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a job that first he deputized to his first vice president Jusuf Kalla and later in his second term to then foreign minister Retno LP Marsudi.
In a presidential election debate last year, Anies criticized Prabowo's performance as defense minister by giving him a rating of 11 out of 100.
Prabowo reportedly held a grudge about the off-the-cuff remark and frequently brought up the subject in private meetings with his aides.