Speaking at the 18th National Congress of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) in Bandar Lampung on Wednesday, Prabowo said he was carrying out his “presidential mandate” by expanding international partnerships, adding that the growing number of invitations reflected Indonesia's rising profile on the global stage.

With more countries seeking closer ties with Indonesia and Jakarta committed to engaging with all sides, attending major diplomatic engagements is often unavoidable, he said, while dismissing critics of his travel schedule as people who “think they are smarter than everyone else”.

“Now, if a superpower country, say President Donald Trump, invites me to the United States, would I dare not come? Huh?” Prabowo said. 

“Then if the Russian president invites me too, is it not impossible for me to show up in Washington but not in Moscow? And If I’m invited by [Chinese] President Xi Jinping, of course I will attend, right? Then there’s India, with 1.4 billion people,” he went on.  

Prabowo argued that maintaining good relations with all governments is essential to safeguarding Indonesia’s national interests.

Read also: Prabowo’s frequent foreign trips raise priority concerns

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