Jakarta. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is planning to host his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Berlin later this year as the two G20 economies wish to trade more with one another.

Steinmeier had sent his chief diplomat, Johann Wadephul to relay the invitation during a Jakarta trip on Wednesday. Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono told reporters that day that Indonesia was thankful for Steinmeier’s invite. He even called Germany Indonesia’s “very strategic comprehensive European partner”.

“We hope the visit can take place in the second half of this year,” Sugiono said, although he did not specify in which month Prabowo would jet off to the German capital.

He added: “We consider this invitation as a special token of appreciation that reflects our strong bilateral partnership.”

Wadephul confirmed Steinmeier’s interest in hosting Prabowo, saying that it would be an honor to have the Indonesian leader in Berlin. If things do go as planned, this would mark the first time for Prabowo -- a German speaker -- to make an official trip to Berlin since assuming power last October.

Wadephul’s visit also came amidst the nearing completion of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between Indonesia and the European Union (EU). This pact -- which will get rid of the import tax on 98 percent of tariff posts -- is still waiting for signature. 

An Indonesian government timeline showed that both sides would announce the CEPA’s substantial conclusion late next month. The actual signing is slated for the second or third quarter of 2026. The document will still have to undergo some lawmaking processes afterwards before the major tariff reductions can actually kick in.

The Indonesia-EU CEPA became a major talking point during Sugiono-Wadephul’s discussions. Sugiono was upbeat that the pact could “expand cooperation in trade and investment”. He also invited Germany to invest in Indonesia’s key sectors such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and food security. As expected from Indonesia's economic diplomacy, Jakarta offered Germany to co-invest in these projects with its sovereign wealth fund Danantara.

Official government statistics revealed Indonesia-Germany trade totaled $3 billion in the first half of 2025, up from $2.8 billion posted in the same period the previous year. However, Jakarta ran a $452.9 million deficit when trading with Berlin between January and June 2025. Germany also invested nearly $89.9 million in Indonesia during the first quarter of the year.

Wadephul continued his Jakarta trip by attending a foreign policy conference held by the think-tank FPCI. It was then that he admitted that the 2022 energy crisis triggered by the Russo-Ukraine war had become a wake-up call for Berlin to diversify its markets. The German politician even accused Russia of using Europe's dependence on its energy supplies as a "geopolitical weapon". And now the European Commission is seeking to sign the free trade agreement with Jakarta “as early as next month”, according to Wadephul.

“With a fair, ambitious and sustainable trade agreement, we will create highly needed business opportunities for both sides and diversify our supply chains -- from renewable energy to digital innovation,” he told the forum.

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