‘I follow your career, copied your programmes’: Indonesian President’s candid praise for PM Modi steals the show in Jakarta

Jakarta(Indonesia): Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and India’s development model, saying he had closely followed the Indian PM’s career and adopted several of his programs for Jakarta.

Speaking during a banquet lunch hosted in honor of PM Modi, President Prabowo Subianto’s candid remarks drew smiles from dignitaries while underscoring the growing strategic partnership between India and Indonesia.

Addressing PM Modi, the President said, “I follow your career and I copied many of your programmes. I don’t mind admitting it because if it succeeds for hundreds of millions of people with the same background as Indonesia, facing similar challenges such as a large population, an agriculture-based economy and frequent natural disasters, then there is much to learn. India has achieved remarkable progress. So I openly admit that I follow your career and have copied many of your programmes.”

The Indonesian President added that the adapted initiatives were already delivering positive results in his country.

“It’s proving to be successful for us. So, thank you very much. I’m very happy there’s no copyright on all your programs,” he said in a lighter vein.

Highlighting the growing policy cooperation between the two countries, President Prabowo Subianto revealed that an Indonesian delegation had recently returned from a two-to-three-week study visit to India to examine agricultural innovations, particularly techniques for converting arid land into productive farmland.

“A team from Indonesia has just returned after spending two or three weeks studying how Indian groups have successfully transformed arid land into cultivable land through permaculture. We are studying this closely because we have a great deal to learn, and we are not afraid of learning,” he said.

The remarks came as India and Indonesia significantly expanded their strategic partnership during PM Modi’s state visit.

The two leaders announced a series of agreements covering defence, technology, education, agriculture, healthcare, maritime cooperation, critical minerals and disaster management. Among the major outcomes were cooperation on the BrahMos missile system and air-to-air missiles, alongside plans to establish a campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore in Indonesia.

PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Indonesia from July 6 to 8, the first leg of his three-nation tour that will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. The visit marks his first bilateral trip to Indonesia since the two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018.

(DD News)