Prabowo highlights Indonesia's longstanding ties with India

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the close relationship between Indonesia and India, saying the two countries have shared centuries of historical, civilizational, and cultural ties.

He made the statement on Tuesday (July 7) during a reception with the Indian community in Jakarta, an event also attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his remarks, Prabowo said Indonesia has long maintained close historical ties with India. This, he noted, reflects Indonesia's longstanding practice of learning from and adopting many positive aspects of Indian civilization.

"In fact, our civilization and our culture have been greatly influenced by Indian civilization for hundreds of years," Prabowo said.

He explained that the influence of Indian civilization can be seen in Indonesia. One example is the Indonesian language, which has absorbed many Sanskrit words, as well as the use of Sanskrit-inspired names among Indonesians.

"Our language, I think around 50 percent of it comes from Sanskrit. Many of our names are Sanskrit names. Therefore, there is a closeness between us, and we welcome closer cooperation," the President said.

The head of state noted that the close ties between Indonesia and India continued after both countries became modern, independent nations.

As one example, Indonesia's first president, Soekarno, was the guest of honor at India's first Republic Day celebration in 1950.

That honor continued under Prabowo's leadership when he was invited as the guest of honor at India's Republic Day celebration on January 26, 2025.

On the occasion, Prabowo also expressed hope that the two countries' shared historical and cultural ties would serve as a foundation for strengthening strategic cooperation across various sectors in the future.

"Therefore, we welcome closer cooperation. Once again, thank you very much for inviting me to join you this evening," the President stated.

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Translator: Fathur, Kenzu

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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