Fadli Zon: Prabowo’s Frequent France Visits Driven by Mutual and Strategic Relations
Culture Minister Fadli Zon stated that President Prabowo Subianto frequently visits France due to mutually beneficial and strategic bilateral relations between the two nations.
“I believe our economic relations are strong and mutually advantageous, with excellent cooperation across various sectors,” Zon said after Eid al-Adha prayers at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque on 27 May 2026.
Zon acknowledged the visits relate to geopolitics and bilateral ties, but stressed that Indonesia’s relationships with all countries are inherently strategic.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the official state visit aims to strengthen Indonesia-France strategic partnerships, noting existing collaborations across multiple fields.
“Indonesia currently has numerous super-strategic collaborations with France, and this state visit is expected to further bolster Indonesia’s position in Europe, particularly France,” Wijaya stated in a written release on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
He added that bilateral relations between Indonesia and France play complementary roles in global affairs.
“Indonesia serves as a primary gateway between Europe and Asia, while France is a crucial link for Asia—especially Southeast Asia—to Europe,” he said.
Wijaya also noted the French president’s visit was based on a long-planned invitation. “The invitation was scheduled last year and underwent several reschedulings,” he explained.
The visit was previously confirmed by Deputy Minister of the State Secretariat Juri Ardiantoro when asked about the President’s agenda during Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah, or Wednesday, 27 May 2026.
According to Ardiantoro, the President departed for abroad on Monday evening, 25 May 2026. “The President left for an overseas working visit to France last night,” he told reporters at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
In his 19 months in office, Prabowo Subianto has made four state visits to France. According to Tempo records, he visited France in mid-July 2025 to attend the Bastille Day military parade at Place de la Concorde in Paris as an honoured guest.
Earlier this year, in January 2026, Prabowo made a brief visit of less than five hours to France after a trip to the UK and Switzerland.
Prabowo and French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly held a 2.5-hour discussion preceded by dinner, covering global issues and France’s role as host of the G7 summit.
Most recently, on Tuesday afternoon, 14 April 2026 local time, Prabowo met Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris, with the event shared via his official Instagram account @presidenrepublikindonesia.