New Delhi: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is likely to be the chief guest for the 2026 Republic Day celebrations. His visit could boost bilateral defence partnership, including proposed export of BrahMos missiles.
Prabowo, a former defence minister and son-in-law of former Indonesian president and strongman Suharto, has been keen to push strategic partnership with India including a desire to purchase BrahMos missiles. Under Prabowo’s presidency, Indonesia could be the second country after the Philippines to purchase BrahMos missiles.
India and Indonesia have already held initial discussions on Jakarta’s desire to purchase BrahMos missiles to safeguard its vast coastline. Earlier, Jakarta has been constrained by the budget to purchase BrahMos but Prabowo may push for a higher defence budget, experts on Indonesian affairs hinted.
An Indonesian military contingent that will participate in the Republic Day parade has held initial round of engagement with its Indian counterpart on the exercise.
This will be the fourth time that an Indonesian president will be the chief guest at the Republic Day. In 2018, then president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was the chief guest along with all other Asean leaders to mark 25 years of India-Asean dialogue partnership.
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