Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto did not return from his six-leg overseas trip empty-handed, according to his spokesman, as the Indonesian leader brought home dozens of major commitments that could boost the economy.

Prabowo had spent the past two weeks traveling overseas to meet his foreign counterparts. His stops included Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the UK, France, and Belarus before finally setting foot in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Prabowo's spokesperson, Hasan Nasbi, the trip had ended on a high note.

His Saudi Arabia trip saw some progress on Prabowo's plan to construct an "Indonesian village" just 400 meters away from Masjid al-Haram or the Great Mosque of Mecca. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country, and sends millions of pilgrims each year, be it for umrah or hajj. The Indonesian government is still working on the details, including the construction scheme.

"There are many alternatives. Should we build [the village] from scratch or acquire existing buildings? Or should we make a long-term contract?" Hasan told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday.  

While the details are still underway, Hasan said Indonesia and Saudi Arabia had reached an agreement to construct this village.

Prabowo's visit to Brazil also marked his debut at the BRICS Summit. It was also during this visit that Prabowo had met his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Hasan told the press that both leaders had agreed to strengthen their cooperation in various fields, including the possibility of clinching a trade deal between Indonesia and the South American trade bloc Mercosur. There were also plans to conduct comparative studies on the school meal rollout -- a program that Brazil has had decades of experience in distributing free meals for its students. The Brazilian government has also accepted Jakarta's request to have its technical team study the country's agricultural technologies and innovation, particularly those related to biofuels.

The retired army general also flew to Brussels, home to the European Union (EU). The visit made headlines as Indonesia and the EU finally made a political agreement to finish their overdue trade pact by September. Under the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), 80 percent of Jakarta's exports can enter the EU market tariff-free. This greater market access is expected to boost Indonesian exports to the EU by up to 50 percent.

“If exports increase, the domestic industry will also grow, and will automatically absorb more labor," Hasan said.

The CEPA is also expected to open up investment opportunities. 

"The EU has invested around $24 billion in our country. This agreement will likely pave the way for greater European investment and eventually job creation," Hasan said.

Hasan also commented on Prabowo's frequent foreign trips over the past nine months of presidency. The spokesman said that Prabowo had attended various major multilateral fora, ranging from the G20 talks to the ASEAN Summit a few months ago.

"Our government plays an active role [in such fora]. We have received high respect from the international community," Hasan said.

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