Presidential Palace: No Official Statement on President's Italy Visit
Government Communication Bureau (Bakom) Chief Muhammad Qodari has confirmed that President Prabowo Subianto’s official foreign visit this week is solely to France, with no official government statement regarding a planned visit to Italy.
“There has been no official Indonesian government statement that the President would visit Italy. Secondly, the official schedule is solely for France,” Qodari said.
He made the remarks in response to circulating reports that President Prabowo had visited other countries besides France during his overseas trip from Tuesday (26 May) to Friday (29 May). He explained that any plans to visit other countries during the trip remain tentative until an official government announcement is made.
“Should there be plans to visit other destinations during the trip, these remain tentative until an official government announcement,” he said.
Qodari stated that President Prabowo’s state visit to France was announced by Foreign Minister Sugiono on 22 April 2026, describing it as a reciprocal gesture following French President Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Indonesia last year.
In addition to strengthening bilateral ties, the visit aims to enhance defence cooperation, particularly technology transfer following Indonesia’s acquisition of several key defence systems from France. Cooperation between the two nations also extends to education, specifically science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), ensuring the relationship extends beyond equipment procurement to technological development.
The government also aims to boost cooperation in energy and critical mineral utilization. Beyond the official agenda, Qodari noted that the strong personal rapport between President Prabowo and Macron serves as social capital to bolster bilateral relations.
“We all know there is a strong personal relationship between the two heads of state, and this social capital is as crucial as economic or political capital in building positive international relations and cooperation,” he said.
He also highlighted President Prabowo’s relationships with global leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping, which he believes support Indonesia’s international cooperation efforts.
“All of this is beneficial in the current context and for the future,” Qodari said.