September 8, 2026 | 11:29 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Government Communication Agency (Bakom) explained why President Prabowo Subianto traveled abroad while the disaster in the country was still being handled. Prabowo visited Russia on September 2-4, 2026, while the handling of the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and the forest fires in various regions was still ongoing.
The Head of Bakom, Muhammad Qodari, claimed that Prabowo had ensured the handling of various domestic issues was going well before going to Russia. "Before visiting abroad, President Prabowo always ensures first that all domestic issues have been handled properly," Qodari said in a statement on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Qodari said that Prabowo's administration often faces various issues ranging from the prices of necessities and employment to natural disasters. He claimed that the President only goes abroad if he is confident that these issues are being properly addressed.
He stressed that Prabowo had visited disaster areas before leaving for Russia. According to Qodari, this series of visits shows that domestic issues remain the President's concern, even as the government conducts international diplomacy.
On the other hand, Qodari said he understands the public's questions about the direct benefits of Prabowo's visit to Russia. He considered these questions reasonable, considering the visit to Russia took place while Indonesia was facing a disaster.
However, he said that the president's foreign agenda is also intended to advocate for national interests. "For President Prabowo, every foreign visit agenda is always directed as part of efforts to find solutions, open up economic opportunities, and bring real benefits back to Indonesia," said Qodari.
He said that domestic issues and diplomacy can be handled simultaneously. "For Indonesia, overcoming challenges domestically and advocating national interests through diplomacy are not contradictory," said Qodari.
President Prabowo visited Vladivostok, Russia, earlier this month. During his visit to Russia, Prabowo was the honored guest at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum, held at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. He also held bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Prabowo's visit to Vladivostok, Russia, took place amid a series of disasters that struck various regions of Indonesia. One of them occurred on Saturday, August 15, 2026, when a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island, NTT.
Based on the records of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as of September 2, 2026, a total of 195,372 people remain displaced. The earthquake is noted to have claimed 127 lives. Forest fires continue to occur on a massive scale. In various regions, BNPB noted that at least 73,310.89 hectares of land had burned from August to September 2, 2026.
Read: Prabowo: 'It Is Indonesia's Fate to Be Located on the Ring of Fire'
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