Prabowo Heads to Paris as Indonesia and France Push Toward Strategic Partnership

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Paris this week for a state visit aimed at deepening ties with France across defense, energy and strategic industries, as Jakarta seeks to strengthen its geopolitical and economic footprint in Europe.

The trip, Indonesian officials said, comes in response to a standing invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron that had previously been postponed because of scheduling conflicts.

“This is an invitation from President Macron that was actually delayed,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said in a video statement released Wednesday.

The visit underscores how Indonesia is increasingly positioning itself as a pivotal partner for Europe at a time of mounting global fragmentation, supply-chain realignment and intensifying competition over defense cooperation, critical minerals and clean-energy investment.

For France, Southeast Asia’s largest economy offers both strategic market access and resource security. For Indonesia, closer ties with Paris could accelerate technology transfer, industrial upgrading and defense modernization while broadening Jakarta’s diplomatic leverage beyond its traditional Asian and U.S. partners.

Sugiono said Macron had initially invited Prabowo for an April 2026 visit, though the meeting was postponed because of timing issues.

“When President Prabowo visited Paris previously, President Macron renewed the invitation and proposed the current dates,” Sugiono said Wednesday. “Since this was already the second invitation extended directly by President Macron, President Prabowo decided to fulfill it.”

Prabowo arrived Tuesday morning at Orly Airport after a roughly 16-hour flight and was welcomed by French Labor and Solidarity Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou along with an official honor guard.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry described the visit as a milestone in efforts to elevate bilateral relations into a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” a diplomatic status typically reserved for a country’s closest geopolitical and economic counterparts.

“During this visit, the two presidents will announce their shared intention to elevate bilateral relations toward a comprehensive strategic partnership, reflecting the growing importance of Indonesia and France to each other amid global uncertainty,” the ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The two leaders have met at least three times over the past year, including meetings on July 14, 2025, Jan. 23, 2026 and April 14, 2026, reflecting increasingly intensive diplomatic engagement between Jakarta and Paris.

Officials said bilateral talks would focus on defense cooperation, renewable energy, critical minerals, education, science and technological innovation.

Indonesia has emerged as a crucial player in the global critical-minerals supply chain because of its vast nickel reserves, a key raw material for electric-vehicle batteries. France, meanwhile, has been expanding efforts to secure strategic mineral access and diversify industrial partnerships outside China.

The trip also highlights Indonesia’s ambition to attract more downstream industrial investment, particularly in sectors tied to energy transition and advanced manufacturing.

Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the visit was expected to reinforce what he described as “super strategic” cooperation between the two countries.

“Indonesia currently has many super strategic partnerships with France, and this state visit is expected to further strengthen Indonesia’s position in Europe, particularly in France,” Teddy said.

He added that Indonesia increasingly serves as one of Europe’s primary gateways into Asia, while France acts as an important bridge connecting Southeast Asia to Europe.

Before beginning official diplomatic meetings, Prabowo joined more than 500 Indonesians and members of the Indonesian diaspora for Eid al-Adha prayers at Indonesia House in Paris on Wednesday morning local time.

Following the prayers, Prabowo greeted worshippers individually and shared a communal meal with Indonesians who had traveled from various cities across France.

The gathering added a personal and symbolic dimension to a trip otherwise centered on geopolitics, industrial strategy and long-term economic alignment between Southeast Asia and Europe.