'Good neighbour' doctrine at plenary session

President Prabowo Subianto stated that Indonesia remains committed to an independent and active foreign policy amidst global uncertainty. Prabowo delivered these remarks while presiding over the Plenary Cabinet Meeting Marking Two Years of the Red and White Cabinet Administration at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (21/10/2026).

Prabowo wants Indonesia to continue being a good neighbor to other nations. He summarized his viewpoint with the phrase: 'a thousand friends are too few, one enemy is too many.' According to him, this foreign policy stance is a tradition inherited from the nation's founding fathers, namely respecting all nations and all major powers.

Following Jokowi's political line since defense minister era

Prabowo stated that he had practiced this principle even before his inauguration as the 8th President of the Republic of Indonesia (RI). At that time, he served as Minister of Defense in the cabinet of Indonesia's 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and followed the same political line. 'I also followed Mr. Joko Widodo's political line at that time,' he said, noting the desire to foster good relations with all neighboring countries.

He noted that he frequently traveled to build cooperation with various countries and accommodated most of their requests. Despite being welcomed by diverse global powers, Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia firmly holds onto its principles.

Rejecting military pacts and bloc alliances

Prabowo affirmed that Indonesia will not align with any bloc or enter any military pact. 'We do not want to join any bloc, we do not want to join any military pacts,' he emphasized. However, Indonesia continues to respect all parties and avoids entanglement, in line with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945), which opposes imperialism and colonialism.

He explained that global conditions compel Indonesia to survive and safeguard its natural resources, reminding that national interests must take priority. According to him, this struggle for survival is faced not only by Indonesia, but also by many other nations.