Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has brought home $3.5 billion worth of commercial deals from France as the Indonesian leader wrapped up his latest overseas trip.

Prabowo landed in Jakarta on Saturday mid-morning after meeting his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris. He was seen immediately getting into the car once he arrived in the Halim Perdanakusuma base.

The retired army general did not come home empty-handed. Indonesia and France had launched a “high-level business council”, comprising economic powerhouses from both nations and boasting a combined market cap of $1.3 trillion, as Paris called on Jakarta to avoid being economically dependent on major powers.

Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani revealed that the council saw the signing of four commercial agreements valued at $3.5 billion. These deals covered energy security, trade, and defense, although the government did not disclose the specifics, including which companies were involved.

“This shows that they [French companies] view Indonesia as a strategic partner with long-term growth prospects and increasingly competitive investment climate,” Rosan said.

Beyond investments, the council has set its sights on a threefold increase to bilateral trade by 2035. Annual export-import activities had hit nearly $2.7 billion in 2025, with the figure reaching $1 billion in Q1 2026, government statistics showed.

In his joint presser with Prabowo, Macron had courted Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund to also invest in France. He went on to say that the nascent council is expected to advance cooperation in “energy transition, mining, agriculture, financial sector, and even artificial intelligence (AI)”.

Foreign direct investment inflows from France reached at least $199 million in 2026. This made France the country’s 11th-largest foreign investor, with Singapore maintaining its dominance by contributing roughly $4.6 billion. An upcoming trade agreement between Indonesia and the European Union -- of which France is a member to -- is expected to create a more attractive regulatory environment for investors.

Prabowo’s return dismissed rumors of extending his Europe tour to Rome following flight radar reports of the presidential aircraft scheduled for the Italian capital. Prabowo had visited 29 countries since assuming power in October 2024. He had traveled to some nations, including France, multiple times. 

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