Prabowo says South Korea asked him to open talks with North Korea

5 hours ago

..with respect and willingly, if I am asked to go to North Korea, I will go,

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Friday that the South Korean president had asked him to help open a channel for dialogue with North Korea, underscoring Jakarta’s non-aligned stance.

Prabowo said the request reflected the international community’s trust in Indonesia as a country that consistently pursues an independent and active foreign policy while maintaining a non-aligned stance.

“The South Korean president asked me whether I could visit North Korea to open some kind of dialogue,” Prabowo said during a meeting with the national and regional chambers of commerce and industry (Kadin) at the State Palace in Jakarta.

Prabowo said the request was made during his state visit to South Korea. Prabowo added that he was willing to undertake the mission if formally asked.

“I said, with respect and willingly, if I am asked to go to North Korea, I will go,” he said.

Prabowo said Indonesia’s position of not interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries had helped it maintain relations with parties holding different interests.

“Indonesia is seen as having no interest in interfering in the domestic affairs of any country. That is what we firmly uphold,” Prabowo said.

He cited Indonesia’s approach to the conflict in Myanmar as another example, saying Jakarta had remained acceptable to the various parties involved.

Prabowo reiterated that Indonesia would maintain the non-aligned foreign policy established by the country’s founding fathers. He stressed that Indonesia would not join any military bloc or alliance and would instead seek to maintain good relations with all countries.

The president said Indonesia’s neutral and open stance gave the country an important asset to continue contributing to peace efforts and conflict resolution through diplomacy.

“I am trying to improve all our relations with our neighbors, pursue reconciliation, and offer an avenue for dialogue,” he added.