TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto burst into laughter upon learning that the winter season in Belarus reached -20 degrees Celsius when he met with President Alexander Lukashenko.
Prabowo made a stopover in the Republic of Belarus after attending the Bastille Day event in Paris, France, on July 14, 2025. They met at President Lukashenko's residence, Ozyorny, located outside the capital city of Minsk. Initially, Lukashenko recounted that his residence was formerly used as a military house and was restored into a residential home.
Prabowo invited Lukashenko to visit Indonesia shortly. Lukashenko gladly accepted the invitation and stated that it would be better to visit Indonesia during the winter. Then, Prabowo inquired whether it was true that the winter in Belarus could reach -20 degrees Celsius. "Yes, 20 degrees is not too much," Lukashenko said in a video uploaded by the Cabinet Secretary's account. Upon hearing this answer, Prabowo burst into laughter.
President Prabowo returned to the homeland on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, after a two-week series of foreign tours. Prabowo visited Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Belgium, France, and finally Belarus before returning to Indonesia. "Alhamdulillah, I have returned to the homeland after quite a while. If I'm not mistaken, 15 days. I've been away for quite a long time, but alhamdulillah, what we have achieved is quite good," Prabowo said at the Halim Perdanakusumah Air Force Base, Jakarta, on July 16, 2025.
In Saudi Arabia, Prabowo met with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. There, he performed the umrah and discussed the organization of the Hajj.
His next visit was to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to attend Indonesia's first BRICS Summit as a full member. Then, Prabowo held bilateral meetings with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at the Planalto Palace, Brasilia.
Before attending the Bastille Day event in Paris, Prabowo made a stopover in Brussels, Belgium. He met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa. In this meeting, Indonesia and the European Union finalized the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA).
"It's similar to a Free Trade Agreement. So, our goods can enter the European Union with 0 percent tariffs and vice versa. So, we have a symbiotic relationship," he said.
In France, Prabowo said that the Indonesian contingent had the honor of leading the parade. He said it was a historic moment where an Asian country led the parade on Bastille Day. "And then, I stopped by in Belarus, in Minsk," he said.
Prabowo mentioned that Belarus needs many commodities from Indonesia. On the other hand, Indonesia must import fertilizers and potash for agriculture.
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