Jakarta, May 7 -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has announced his intention to award the nation's highest honor to Bill Gates, co-founder of global technology giant Microsoft, in recognition of his significant contributions to Indonesia and to humanity.

While hosting Gates at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, Prabowo said Gates deserves the distinction for his leadership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has mobilized funding for vaccine development and various empowerment programs in Indonesia.

"I will convene with the Council of Decorations of Honor because, on behalf of the Indonesian nation, I want to confer our most prestigious star of honor on a foreign citizen who has helped both the Indonesian peopl...