Exploring Opportunities for Indonesia to Diversify Investment Partners During President Prabowo's Visit to France
President Prabowo Subiability has concluded a state visit to France, securing new investment agreements valued at US$3.5 billion (approximately Rp61.25 trillion). This visit presents a significant opportunity for Indonesia to expand its investment partnerships towards Europe.
During his visit from 26–30 May 2026, President Prabowo met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. This marked his third visit to France this year, following previous diplomatic engagements in January and April 2026, which focused on strategic cooperation in energy, education, digital communications, and long-term economic investment.
The latest visit resulted in four new commercial agreements centred on energy security, trade, and defence cooperation. This milestone coincided with the launch of the France–Indonesia High Level Business Council (FI-HLBC), a forum bringing together 30 industry leaders from both nations, representing a combined market capitalisation of US$1.3 trillion.
Minister of Investment and Downstreaming, Rosan Roeslani, stated that these achievements are a milestone in deepening economic ties and expanding mutually beneficial trade. The Indonesian government aims to triple bilateral trade with France by 2035. Roeslani noted that increasing confidence from French businesses indicates that Indonesia is viewed as a strategic partner with a competitive investment climate.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify Indonesia’s investment sources, which have traditionally been dominated by Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Shinta W. Kamdani, Chairwoman of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO), highlighted that the partnership opens doors to new sectors, including clean energy, infrastructure, logistics, and the downstream processing of critical minerals for the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
Economist Yusuf Rendy Manilet of the Centre of Reform on Economics (CORE) observed that President Prabowo’s frequent meetings with President Macron demonstrate a concerted effort to broaden strategic investment partners. This follows successful investment commitments from other recent overseas visits, including the United Kingdom (£4 billion), the United States (US$38.4 billion), and Japan (US$23.63 billion).