Indonesian diaspora welcomes President Prabowo’s arrival at Paris hotel
Hundreds of Indonesian diaspora awaited President Prabowo Subianto’s arrival in Paris since early Tuesday, 26 May 2026, during his third state visit to France in five months.
Ruth, a Blitar native who has lived in France for 23 years, expressed her enthusiasm upon meeting President Prabowo.
“I am deeply grateful to him; President Prabowo took the time to meet with Indonesian citizens here,” Ruth said in a written statement from the Presidential Secretariat dated 27 May 2026.
“Bienvenue, President Prabowo Subianto,” she added.
In addition to Ruth, several Indonesian students in France also welcomed Prabowo.
During the encounter, President Prabowo held a brief discussion with the students, inquiring about their fields of study and academic levels while encouraging them to continue their studies diligently.
“We are truly grateful that President Prabowo took time to discuss with us, even though we are just students. Such an opportunity is not common, so we feel proud and delighted to have spoken with him,” said Evelyn.
The students also hoped the visit would strengthen Indonesia-France relations in the future, noting that the positive bilateral ties have already provided tangible benefits for Indonesian students in France and opened wider avenues to showcase Indonesian culture globally.
“Thank you to President Prabowo for fostering excellent relations with France. As students, we feel the benefits here and hope to further promote Indonesian culture worldwide,” said Syeril.
President Prabowo Subianto arrived at Paris Orly Airport on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, at approximately 10:00 local time, following a 16-hour flight.
“This arrival marks the start of President Prabowo’s state visit to France, which was scheduled since last year but underwent multiple reschedulings,” said Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya in a written statement dated 27 May 2026.
At the airport, Prabowo was greeted by French Labour and Solidarity Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou and a guard of honour, as well as hundreds of Indonesian citizens who had waited since morning at the hotel where the head of state was staying.
Teddy stated that the state visit aims to further strengthen strategic ties between Indonesia and France, noting the two nations already have multiple strategic collaborations across various sectors.
“Indonesia has numerous super-strategic collaborations with France, and this state visit is expected to enhance Indonesia’s position in Europe, particularly in France,” he said.
Additionally, Teddy highlighted that Indonesia-France bilateral relations play a complementary role in global affairs.
“Indonesia serves as a key gateway for Europe-Asia relations, while France is a crucial gateway for Asia—particularly Southeast Asia—to Europe,” he added.
In his written statement, the Cabinet Secretary also outlined President Prabowo’s schedule ahead of the official state visit events.
“President Prabowo is scheduled to perform Eid al-Adha prayers and meet with Indonesian citizens at the KBRI Paris residence,” he said.