Indonesian leader breaks into song as he hosts German president

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was bestowed with an unusual honour on a visit to Indonesia on Monday, with President Prabowo Subianto and several minister singing local songs for him at lunch.

Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender were received with military honours upon arrival in Jakarta, including a gun salute and a parade involving 120 horses.

Artists present at the lunch also sang songs in German, according to delegation sources, including "Wenn sie tanzt" by German singer-songwriter Max Giesinger that translates as "When she's dancing." 

They also performed "Muss ich denn," (Must I then) a German folk song in the Swabian dialect which became widely known through Elvis Presley's adaptation of the melody and some verses in "Wooden Heart."

Childhood picture of Steinmeier were also shown.

During their visit to the presidential palace in Jakarta, Steinmeier and Büdenbender also met Prabowo’s famous cat named Bobby Kertanegara.

Indonesia is the first stop on the German president's current five-day trip to Asia, which will also see him visit the Philippines and Uzbekistan.

President Prabowo Subianto, a former general, has been governing the country of more than 280 million since 2024.

A key focus of Steinmeier's visit to Jakarta is the peaceful coexistence of different religions, with Indonesia home to the world's largest Muslim population living in a single country.

In the Philippine capital Manila, the German president plans to visit a Lufthansa production facility and meet Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.

The final stop on Steinmeier's trip is the Uzbek capital Tashkent, where the president plans to visit a branch of German construction company GP Günter Papenburg, among other engagements.