Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto landed in Paris on Tuesday morning local time, shortly after Indonesia expanded its air power with new French-made Rafale fighter aircraft.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said that Prabowo had been planning to visit France since last year, but he had to reschedule the trip several times. Teddy did not say what had caused Prabowo -- known for his heavy overseas travel schedule -- to push the Paris trip to a later date.

“Indonesia has many super strategic partnerships with France,” Teddy said.

He offered little clarity on what would be on the agenda in the upcoming talks with French leader Emmanuel Macron, only saying that both countries complement each other. Indonesia provides Europe with access to Asia. 

“At the same time, France serves as a major gateway for Asia -- particularly Southeast Asian [nations] -- to Europe,” Teddy said.

This also means Prabowo will be celebrating Eid al-Adha in Paris.

The Indonesian Air Force officially added 6 Rafale fighter jets to its arsenal in a traditional handover ceremony last week. In 2022, Jakarta, under the then-defense minister Prabowo, inked an $8.1 billion deal to acquire 42 Rafale jets to be made by French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation. France quickly evolved into one of Prabowo’s top foreign destinations. The retired army general had only visited Paris for the third time as president in April.

Prabowo confirmed to have spoken about “military procurement and strengthening the defense industry” with Macron then, although their discussions did not culminate in new Rafale orders. Defense Ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirait admitted at the time that Indonesia was still “reviewing the idea” of purchasing Rafale jets.

Indonesia-France trade almost doubled year-on-year to $1 billion in January and March 2026, according to official statistics. A free trade agreement that slashes tariffs between Indonesia and the European Union –- of which Paris is part -- is set to enter into force next year.

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