Prabowo scraps Italy visit, Qodari confirms official schedule limited to France

Government Communication Bureau (Bakom) Chief M Qodari stated that the government never issued any official statement regarding President Prabowo Subianto’s planned visit to Italy. He said the official state agenda only includes a trip to France. ‘From the start, there was no Indonesian government statement that the president would go to Italy. Secondly, the official schedule is only for France,’ he said during a press conference regarding the operational preparation of PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia at Wisma Danantara in Jakarta on Sunday, 31 May 2026. He explained that any potential additional destinations during the trip remain tentative and cannot be considered official state agenda until announced by the government. Qodari added that President Prabowo’s state visit to France was actually announced far in advance by Foreign Minister Sugiono. ‘The president’s state visit to France was announced by our Foreign Minister, Mr Sugiono. Even as early as 22 April 2026, if you check the records, Mr Sugiono had already stated it,’ he said. He explained that the visit is a reciprocal trip following French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Indonesia last year. During this time, the government has mapped out several strategic agendas for bilateral discussions. According to Qodari, a key focus of cooperation is the defence sector, particularly enhancing Indonesia’s ability to operate various military equipment (alutsista) acquired from France. He said the Indonesian government has obtained several pieces of military equipment from France. ‘Therefore, technology transfer is required to master these military assets,’ he said. In addition to defence, he added that other key areas of cooperation include human resource development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), aiming to facilitate technology transfer. He added that the energy sector and critical mineral utilisation are also part of the cooperation agenda to be strengthened during the visit. Qodari noted that the strong personal rapport between President Prabowo and President Macron is crucial for strengthening bilateral ties. ‘We all know there is a very strong personal relationship between the two heads of state, and social capital is no less important than economic or political capital in building good relations and cooperation between nations,’ he added. Qodari also highlighted Prabowo’s ability to build relationships with leaders of major countries. He described Prabowo as a unique figure, possibly the only one in the world who maintains strong ties with global superpowers. ‘He has good relations with Russian President Putin, US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping,’ Qodari said. He said this international network is vital for Indonesia to tackle current and future global challenges. ‘All of this will undoubtedly benefit us in the current context and for the future,’ Qodari said.