UN chief praises Indonesia's aid to Palestine

HAMBALANG, Indonesia — UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised Indonesia's foreign policy and its practical help for Palestinians during a bilateral meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday, 19 October, according to Republika. The meeting was held at the president's private residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java.

According to a statement from the State Secretariat, published in Jakarta on Monday, Guterres also said goodbye to Prabowo ahead of the end of his term as Secretary-General in December 2026. The statement listed three points: praise for Indonesia's foreign policy under Prabowo, the farewell, and appreciation for Prabowo's efforts to support world order and Indonesia's practical help for Palestinians.

The State Secretariat said the meeting showed close communication and partnership between Indonesia and the United Nations. It said the two sides worked together on peace, global stability and a fairer world order.

Guterres also thanked Indonesia for its contribution of peacekeeping troops. He praised Indonesia's leadership in promoting innovative development financing and its work on climate change adaptation and mitigation, according to the same source.

The UN's own statement said the talks covered reform of the multilateral system and progress on the 2030 Agenda. The two leaders also discussed wider global and regional issues, including the situation in Palestine, which the statement described as occupied by Israel.

Guterres was also scheduled to visit the TNI Peacekeeping Mission Training Centre in Bogor Regency on Monday. According to Republika, he was due to pay respects to 50 TNI soldiers who died while serving with UN peacekeeping forces. He was also to meet soldiers due to deploy to the UN mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), according to a statement by UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

Background

Republika reported that Guterres's term ends in December 2026. The report did not give details of the aid Indonesia has provided to Palestinians. It also did not say what the 50 soldiers died from, or when.