New Delhi: India is gearing up to mark its 76th Republic Day on January 26, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto set to attend the celebrations as the chief guest. He will pay a state visit to India on January 25-26, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has been announced.
Prior to this announcement, Pakistani media reported that Subianto was expected to visit Pakistan following his trip to India. However, the Indonesian President has now refused to visit Pakistan. The visit by the Indonesian leader will be significant as India and Indonesia are commemorating 75 years of diplomatic ties.
In another interesting development, not only will President Subianto attend the Republic Day celebrations, but his army will also participate in the parade. Indonesian soldiers have already started preparations for their participation in the event.
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An Indonesian military contingent, set to participate in the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path, conducted practice sessions in Jakarta.
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The Indonesian military is undergoing rigorous training in Jakarta, to prepare for the R-Day and showcase its skills during the parade. It would be interesting to note that Indonesia’s first President, Sukarno, was the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day celebrations.
Crucial step towards boosting India-Indonesia ties
Extending invitation to leaders from India’s friendly countries to participate in Republic Day celebrations is a key feature of India’s foreign policy. As part of this policy, President Subianto will attend this year’s Republic Day, with his visit being seen as a crucial step towards boosting the relationship between India and Indonesia.Earlier, Subianto had visited New Delhi during his role as the Defence Minister of Indonesia in 2020.
In 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest and in 2023, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi graced the Republic Day celebrations. In 2020, then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took part in the Republic Day celebrations.
