Fadli Zon Defends Prabowo's Overseas Trips: Results Are Effective and Efficient

Deputy Chairman of Gerindra and Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, has defended President Prabowo Subianto, who had previously been criticised for undertaking numerous working visits abroad. Fadli Zon stated that what Prabowo Subianto does is effective and efficient.

“Regarding the official trips that were previously questioned, in my opinion, Mr Prabowo’s official trips abroad, which I have accompanied him on several times, are very efficient,” Fadli Zon said during a conversation with journalists at the Ministry of Culture in Jakarta on Wednesday (17/6/2026).

Fadli then recounted his experience accompanying Prabowo to Qatar. He mentioned that Prabowo and the Emir of Qatar needed only five minutes to reach an agreement.

“With the Emir of Qatar, in a discussion lasting no more than five minutes, the Emir of Qatar already said Danantara is extraordinary, he praised Danantara profusely, ‘we want to invest in Indonesia, how about Mr President if we start with 4 billion US dollars first, 2 billion from us, 2 billion from Danantara’. That was in a discussion of no more than five minutes,” he said.

Fadli stated that this is the kind of diplomacy Prabowo demonstrates during visits abroad. According to him, there is a difference from ministerial diplomacy.

“Presidential diplomacy results directly in a decision. Ministerial diplomacy still requires reporting back to the President first. This is sometimes forgotten, so diplomacy by the President is very important and we are fortunate to have a President who is very skilled in diplomacy,” he said.

“Meeting with Xi Jinping resulted in immediate concrete outcomes, meeting with Putin resulted in immediate concrete outcomes, there was an immediate decision, so it’s not just empty talk,” he continued.

Furthermore, Fadli said that the diplomacy conducted by Prabowo abroad is certainly already a state decision. Therefore, according to him, Prabowo is definitely efficient when going abroad.

“I know that his trips abroad are effective and efficient, likewise when he was in the Netherlands it was effective and efficient, finished in 1-2 days, finished in 1-2 days. We are fortunate to have a President like him who can speak straight to the point and knows the substance, not just reading papers prepared by staff,” he explained.

Going further, Fadli also refuted the notion that Prabowo enjoys gallivanting abroad. He emphasised that Prabowo has been abroad since his school days.

“If the President goes abroad to gallivant, Mr Prabowo has never been someone new to going abroad. Since junior high school, he attended junior high abroad, high school in England, yes, he has been in America, he also lived in Germany for a year during a military course. So he is not someone who is like a person addicted to going abroad. Not at all,” he said.