Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s Minister of Defense and President-elect for the 2024-2029 term, conducted an official tour across Europe from July 24 to 31, 2024.
During his visit, Prabowo held meetings with leaders from four countries: French President Emmanuel Macron, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Each of Prabowo’s arrivals in these friendly nations was met with warm receptions and farewells from the respective leaders.
In France, Prabowo met with President Macron at the Elysee Palace on July 24. The discussions focused on global security issues and plans to enhance defense cooperation through modernizing equipment, developing the defense industry, and enhancing education and training programs.
Additionally, Prabowo attended the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympics on behalf of President Joko Widodo and met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss Indonesia’s football efforts. He also met with the International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach to explore the possibility of Indonesia hosting the 2036 Olympics.
After France, Prabowo visited Serbia on July 29 to meet with President Vucic. Their meeting aimed to strengthen political dialogue and promote economic cooperation between the two countries.
In Turkey, Prabowo met with President Erdoğan and discussed bilateral relations, defense commitments, and the enhancement of armed forces and defense industries in both countries. Prabowo also met with Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to further discuss defense relations and geopolitical situations.
The final stop of Prabowo’s European tour was Russia, where he met with President Putin in Moscow on July 31. Discussions revolved around enhancing cooperation in education, tourism, food security, and defense. They also explored potential collaboration in nuclear energy and discussed Russia’s initiatives in the tourism sector, with Prabowo expressing support for opening a Russian Consulate General in Bali.
Prabowo also invited Russia to participate in a defense exhibition scheduled for November 2024 in Indonesia, highlighting the commitment to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
