Agreeing, Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations lecturer at Padjadjaran University, said: “Indonesia’s position is no longer limited to the ASEAN level — it is now a qualified middle power, a capable mid-tier nation engaged in broad cooperation with many others.”
Prabowo’s multiple official visits since taking office demonstrate “tremendous energy”, said Teuku.
“Prabowo can depart at night and be back within 24 hours,” he said. “When the media are still reporting on his overseas trips and people are talking about them, he’s already back home.”
Some experts are, however, sceptical of the impact of Prabowo’s attendance at the summit, seeing his presence as largely symbolic and a diplomatic showcase.
Indonesia was not deeply involved in ceasefire negotiations, unlike Egypt, Qatar or Turkiye, which co-signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal aimed at ending two years of war in Gaza, noted Yohanes Sulaiman, associate professor in international relations at Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani.
“I believe Trump and the US wanted to invite Prabowo as a prop, to lend additional support to Trump’s ceasefire and Gaza deal,” he said. “I think his invitation was purely pragmatic, not an indication that Prabowo played a central role in the process.”
Prabowo’s presence in Egypt lent legitimacy to the US and its allies, as if they had the backing of the Islamic world, said Suzie Sudarman of the University of Indonesia’s International Relations Studies Department.
Trump’s praise of Prabowo reflects a recurring pattern in US’ relations with Muslim-majority countries, Suzie said, pointing to the 2003 Iraq War when then President George W Bush met his Indonesian counterpart Megawati Soekarnoputri in Bali and stated, “Indonesia is a vital partner, and Indonesia is a friend of America”.
“Looking at history, this pattern repeats itself. What (the US) really needs is a ‘mask’ — a symbol suggesting that Muslim countries can be made to align with the interests of Israel or its allies,” Suzie said.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/prabowo-gaza-peace-summit-indonesia-foreign-policy-5404021
