Reasons for Prabowo's Visit to Russia and France, Teddy: UN Veto-Holding Nations with Significant Power

Jakarta - Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel TNI Teddy Indra Wijaya has explained the reasons behind President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Russia and France on this foreign trip. According to him, France and Russia possess significant power, given that they are veto-holding nations in the United Nations (UN). It is known that Prabowo met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday (13/4/2026). The following day, Prabowo flew directly to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. “Both countries are two of the five UN veto-holding nations, and they have substantial power in the economic and energy resource sectors,” he added. Regarding the visit to France, Teddy stated that the one-on-one meeting between Prabowo and Macron took place in a warm and productive atmosphere for more than two hours. “The one-on-one meeting between President Prabowo and President Emmanuel Macron lasted more than two hours at the Élysée Palace in Paris,” he said. In that meeting, according to Teddy, the two leaders discussed strengthening strategic cooperation between Indonesia and France in various priority sectors. “The meeting discussed enhancing cooperation in various sectors, including energy, education, digital communications, and long-term economic investment,” said Teddy. Furthermore, Teddy added that the strong personal relationship between Prabowo and Macron has become an important foundation in strengthening the partnership between the two countries. Meanwhile, Teddy noted that this closeness has been established since Prabowo served as Defence Minister and continues to this day. “The relationship between the two leaders has been closely tied since President Prabowo served as Defence Minister until now,” he added.