St. Petersburg – President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto delivered a powerful and heartfelt message at the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), underscoring his unwavering commitment to peace despite his background as a career soldier.

“I am a former soldier. And because of that, I deeply understand the value of peace and reconciliation,” Prabowo stated during a Q&A session on Friday (June 20).

Responding to a question about resolving conflicts through dialogue rather than confrontation, Prabowo highlighted the power of diplomacy and forgiveness—taking inspiration from one of history’s most iconic peacemakers.

“Nelson Mandela is one of my greatest heroes,” he said.
“His greatness lay in his decision to reconcile with his former enemies after being released from prison. That is true greatness. And I try to follow that in my domestic politics.”

Prabowo offered a real-life example from Indonesia’s own turbulent history: the decades-long conflict in Aceh. He shared that a former commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)—once at war with the Indonesian state—has now joined Prabowo’s political party and currently serves as the Governor of Aceh.

“Imagine, someone who fought the Indonesian government for over 25 years is now a member of my political party… and now he’s Governor of Aceh, while I’m President of Indonesia,” Prabowo said.
“This proves that even former enemies can unite. That’s the lesson I learned from Mandela.”

He concluded his remarks with a clear, consistent philosophy:

“As a former soldier, I’ve always tried—since long ago—to negotiate. Negotiate, negotiate, and keep negotiating.”
“It’s always better to talk than to kill each other. That is my position—always talk. Always negotiate.”

Prabowo’s speech not only resonated with the forum’s global audience but also reaffirmed Indonesia’s diplomatic posture of peace, inclusivity, and reconciliation in both domestic and international arenas.