TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has become the first foreign head of state to stay overnight at the State Palace in Jakarta. He spent the night at the official residence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia from Wednesday to Thursday, July 1-2, 2026.
Foreign Minister Sugiono noted that no sitting president from another nation had ever stayed overnight inside the Jakarta Palace before. Previously, state guests staying within the Presidential Palace complex were accommodated at the neighboring Wisma Negara guest house. "(Lukashenko) is the first president to stay at the State Palace," Sugiono told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
According to Sugiono, the decision to stay at the State Palace came as a direct request from Lukashenko himself. The Indonesian government subsequently granted the request as a gesture of respect toward the Belarusian leader.
Sugiono explained that Lukashenko was initially scheduled to stay at Wisma Negara. However, President Prabowo Subianto intervened, requesting that his guest be accommodated in the State Palace instead, as it was deemed a more prestigious venue. "It was originally arranged at Wisma Negara, but the President considered the State Palace more representative," Sugiono said.
He further noted that Lukashenko's trip was a reciprocal visit following Prabowo’s official journey to Belarus on July 15, 2025. It also marks Lukashenko’s second state visit to Indonesia, following his initial trip back in 2013.
Lukashenko arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and was received by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin upon landing at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta. The following day, he attended a formal state welcoming ceremony at the Merdeka Palace alongside President Prabowo. Throughout the visit, Lukashenko was accompanied by his two sons, Dmitry Lukashenko and Nikolai Lukashenko.
Prabowo and Lukashenko then held bilateral talks to launch a roadmap for future Indonesia-Belarus relations. According to Sugiono, the two nations intend to bolster cooperation across various strategic sectors, including food security, energy security, and ongoing discussions regarding the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement.
Prior to this summit, during his visit to Minsk in July 2025, Prabowo was received directly at Lukashenko's private residence in Ozyorny. The high-level meeting, which lasted for nearly three hours, focused on exploring mutual avenues for cooperation, particularly in trade, essential commodities, and fertilizer supply chains.
During that meeting, Prabowo extended an invitation for Lukashenko to visit Indonesia once again. That invitation has now materialized through the Belarusian leader's state visit to Jakarta.
Read: Prabowo Welcomes Belarus President Lukashenko at Palace
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