Bakom confirms President Prabowo's only official foreign trip is to France

JAKARTA (ANTARA) - Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Chief Muhammad Qodari confirmed that President Prabowo Subianto’s only official foreign trip this week is to France.

“From the outset, there has been no statement from the Indonesian government that the President would visit Italy. Secondly, the official schedule is indeed only for France,” Qodari said in Jakarta on Sunday.

He made the remarks in response to rumours that President Prabowo would visit other countries during his foreign trip from Tuesday (26/5) to Friday (29/5).

He explained that any plans to visit other destinations during the trip would remain tentative until an official government announcement.

“The President’s visit is a reciprocal gesture following French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Indonesia last year,” he added.

The trip aims to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in defence cooperation, including technology transfer following Indonesia’s acquisition of military equipment from France.

Cooperation between the two nations also extends to education, specifically in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), ensuring the relationship goes beyond mere equipment procurement to technological development.

Qodari highlighted the strong personal rapport between Presidents Prabowo and Macron as social capital that supports bilateral relations.

“We all know there is a strong personal relationship between the two leaders, and this social capital is as crucial as economic or political capital in building good international relations and cooperation,” he said.

He also mentioned President Prabowo’s relationships with global leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping, which he believes will bolster Indonesia’s international cooperation.

“All these relationships are beneficial for the current situation and future prospects,” Qodari added.