Slew of MoUs on the cards for Indonesian president’s visit
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ISLAMABAD: As President Prabowo Subianto on Monday landed in the federal capital on a two-day visit, Pakistan and Indonesia are expected to sign several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) spanning several sectors, including climate, health, and defence.
The Indonesian president, on his maiden visit to Pakistan, was received by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Nur Khan Airbase. Upon his arrival, children dressed in traditional attire presented him with flowers. He was also given a 21-gun salute.
During the two days, the Indonesian president will hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz and meet President Zardari.
PM Shehbaz tweeted that he was honoured to host President Subianto and looking forward to “our meaningful engagements tomorrow as we work to strengthen this enduring partnership”.
Pakistan and Indonesia will also sign several memoranda of understanding during the visit. Talks are expected to cover advancing bilateral cooperation in “trade, investment, defence, health, IT, climate, education and culture, as well as enhancing collaboration at regional and global levels”.
Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will also call on the visiting dignitary.
The visit coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Indonesia. The two countries maintain strong bilateral relations rooted in shared religion and culture, with both countries cooperating in trade, education and health. A day earlier, the Foreign Office said the Indonesian leader would be in Pakistan on Dec 8-9 to discuss a “wide-ranging agenda” with Pakistani leaders aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and “exploring new avenues of cooperation”. According to the FO, this is the president’s first visit to Pakistan, as the last presidential visit was by ex-president Joko Widodo in 2018.
In July, Indonesia’s Defence Minister retired Lt-Gen Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin met Shehbaz in Islamabad, where he expressed his country’s desire to boost defence ties with Pakistan and explore areas for possible collaboration, particularly in defence production.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2025
