Foreign Minister: Prabowo's France Visit Fulfils Macron's Delayed Invitation
Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to France this week, coinciding with Eid al-Adha, is to fulfil a delayed invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron.
“This visit is to fulfil Macron’s invitation which was previously delayed,” Sugiono said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu RI), confirmed in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He explained that Macron had extended the invitation to revisit France during Prabowo’s last visit to Paris last month. At that time, Macron proposed a rescheduled visit in late May, which Prabowo has now undertaken this week. Sugiono noted that Macron had suggested alternative dates for the state visit.
“Since the invitation was extended twice, the President has accepted and is visiting Paris for a working trip as a reciprocal gesture to President Macron’s visit to Indonesia,” Sugiono stated.
During a press conference in Jakarta on 22 April, the Foreign Minister revealed that President Prabowo would make another state visit to France as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations.
President Prabowo previously visited Paris on 14 April to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in a closed-door meeting.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation in various areas deemed in need of intensification.
One area of cooperation discussed in the April meeting was the defence industry, given Indonesia’s purchases of major weapon systems (alutsista) from France.
Additionally, discussions focused on strengthening educational cooperation, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), to support technology transfer and enhance Indonesia’s mastery of its defence equipment.
Prior to the April and May visits, Prabowo had made two previous trips to France: on 14 July 2025 to attend France’s National Day Military Parade (Bastille Day) and on 23 January 2026 to bolster strategic cooperation between Indonesia and France.