Indonesia President Prabowo Defends Frequent Overseas Trips as Diplomatic Strategy
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pushed back against criticism of his 54 overseas trips to 29 countries in under two years in office, far exceeding the travel records of his predecessors. He invoked Indonesia's longstanding 'free and active' non-alignment foreign policy, arguing that maintaining good relations with all nations — including both Russia and the United States — serves the national interest. The controversy has intensified amid a record-low Indonesian rupiah and new legislation raising concerns about political interference in the central bank.
President Prabowo Subianto on June 10 defended his extensive overseas travel for the second time in recent months, framing it as economic diplomacy and a reflection of Indonesia's 'bebas dan aktif' (free and active) foreign policy principle, first articulated in 1948. According to public travel records and a timeline infographic of his trips, Prabowo has made 54 overseas visits covering 29 countries since taking office in late 2024, with Malaysia visited five times and France four times — a pace far exceeding predecessor Joko Widodo's 16 state visits and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 10 trips in their respective first full years. Critics, including former deputy foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal, have questioned whether the frequency aligns with diplomatic priorities and fiscal responsibility, particularly after reports that Prabowo's delegation booked 27 hotel rooms in Paris at an estimated cost of over US$325,000. The government has countered that the France trip alone generated US$3.5 billion in commercial deals, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that expenses beyond state budget allocations are personally absorbed by the president. The debate has sharpened following the Indonesian rupiah hitting a record low above 18,000 per dollar on June 4, and parliament's passage of legislation expanding Bank Indonesia's mandate in ways that have alarmed investors about potential political interference with monetary policy. Prabowo is next expected to travel to Russia on June 17 for the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan.
Data: Indonesian Presidential Office / CNA Graphics
What's missing
Independent verification of the claimed US$3.5 billion in commercial deals from the France trip — including deal structures, timelines, and whether similar valuations have been achieved from other trips — is absent, making it difficult to assess the overall return on investment of Prabowo's travel program.
What different sources said
- Channel NewsAsiaCenter
‘One enemy is too many’: Indonesia President Prabowo hits back at criticism of overseas trips
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