Jakarta, July 30, 2025 – The Europe Today: President Prabowo Subianto received Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday for the 13th Annual Consultation between Indonesia and Malaysia, during which both leaders held discussions on key regional and bilateral issues, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and strategic cooperation across various sectors.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, who was present at the meeting, stated that the leaders addressed several critical matters, with RCEP being one of the focal points. “Today’s meeting, as part of the annual agenda, covered topics such as RCEP. Malaysia will host a leaders’ meeting on RCEP. Bilateral ties between the two countries were also on the table,” Hartarto said during a press briefing at the Presidential Palace complex.
RCEP, the world’s largest free trade agreement, comprises 15 Asia-Pacific nations, including the 10 ASEAN member states and five major trading partners—Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
Hartarto further revealed that both leaders also discussed pressing regional issues, notably the ongoing border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. “Under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship, the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand will also be discussed,” he added.
The meeting also explored expanding bilateral cooperation. Both nations are expected to sign several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering key areas such as land border arrangements, health, technology, and communication. “There are two additional sectors included in the MoUs,” Hartarto noted.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit underscores the long-standing ties and ongoing strategic partnership between the two neighboring countries. His motorcade arrived at the Merdeka Palace around 10:10 a.m. local time, where President Prabowo warmly welcomed him. Following a brief exchange with the media, the two leaders proceeded into the palace for formal discussions.
Before entering the Credential Room, President Prabowo introduced several key members of his Cabinet, including State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, Foreign Minister Sugiono, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Chief Muhammad Herindra, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution, Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
The Annual Consultation reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to strengthening diplomatic, economic, and people-to-people ties in an increasingly complex regional landscape.
