Prabowo Lands in Jakarta with $3.5 Billion French Windfall as $1.3 Trillion Business Council Ignites Economic Ties

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto touched down at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Saturday, May 30, 2026, fresh off a high-profile state visit to France that yielded a massive $3.5 billion commercial windfall.

The president's diplomatic mission culminated in a powerhouse meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The centerpiece of the trip was the official launch of the France–Indonesia High Level Business Council, an elite corporate forum connecting 30 industry titans from both nations. Together, the participating entities command a staggering combined market capitalization of $1.3 trillion, cementing a rapid deepening of economic ties between Southeast Asia’s largest economy and Europe's leading industrial power.

This $3.5 billion breakthrough underscores Indonesia’s aggressive drive to secure foreign direct investment and advanced technology to bolster its ambitious domestic agenda. By locking in strategic deals across energy security, trade, and defense cooperation, Jakarta is actively diversifying its Western alliances. The inclusion of Indonesia's most influential business tycoons in the delegation signals a highly coordinated, state-backed push to integrate Indonesian corporate interests into the European supply chain.

Private Sector Heavyweights Lock In Deals

The strategic importance of the mission was reflected in the high-caliber business delegation accompanying the president. Anindya Bakrie, Chairman of Kadin Indonesia (the country’s influential Chamber of Commerce and Industry), led the private-sector push alongside James Riady, Kadin’s Deputy Chairman of Foreign Affairs, and Tony Wenas, President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia, the nation's major copper and gold mining operator.

Prominent Indonesian billionaires and corporate leaders, including Boy Thohir of the energy giant Adaro Energy and Arif Rachmat of Triputra Group, also joined the elite circle in Paris on Thursday, May 28, 2026. Top government officials present at the negotiations included Sugiono, Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Rosan Roeslani, the Minister of Investment and CEO of Danantara, the country's newly formed sovereign wealth fund management body.

Deepening Defense and Energy Alliances

While specific corporate breakdowns of the $3.5 billion pact remain under wraps, the focus heavily targets sectors crucial to Indonesia's national security and green energy transition. The deals follow a pattern of accelerating defense procurement and infrastructure modernization between the two nations, building on previous high-value military acquisitions from French contractors.

Beyond the boardroom, the visit blended high diplomacy with soft power, including a formal state banquet hosted by Macron at the Élysée Palace’s Salle des Fêtes. President Prabowo also paused his tight diplomatic schedule to perform the Iduladha Eid prayers alongside the Indonesian diaspora community in Paris, projecting a balanced image of global statesmanship and domestic cultural alignment.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto disembarks from the presidential aircraft at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta following his state visit to France on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Photo: BPMI Setpres/Cahyo