Prabowo Reportedly Batalled to Italy, Qodari: Official Schedule Only to France

JAKARTA - Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Muhammad Qodari spoke up regarding the news that President Prabowo Subianto would not visit Rome, Italy.

The news of the cancellation of the state visit has been widely discussed on social media lately.

Qodari emphasized that the government had never made an official statement regarding President Prabowo Subianto's plan to visit Italy.

According to him, the state agenda announced by the government from the beginning only includes a visit to France.

"From the beginning, there was no statement from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia that the president would go to Italy. The official schedule is only to France," Qodari said at a press conference, at Wisma Danantara, Jakarta, Sunday, May 31.

He explained that any other possible destinations that emerged in the discussion of the president's trip were still plans until they were officially announced by the government.

"Third, if on the way there are plans to go to another destination, it is only a plan until there is an official presentation from the government," he said.

Qodari reminded that President Prabowo's state visit to France had actually been announced by Foreign Minister Sugiono long before departure. According to him, the information was conveyed since April 2026.

"The presidential state visit to France has been announced by our Foreign Minister, Mr. Sugiono. In fact, since April 22, 2026, if you open the file back, it has been announced by Mr. Sugiono," he said.

The visit, continued Qodari, was a reciprocal visit to the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron to Indonesia the previous year.

In addition to strengthening bilateral relations, the visit was also aimed at expanding the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

"And at that time he said in a direct quote, and there is also a plan for President Prabowo's state visit to France in the near future. Indeed, this last visit is actually a state visit in response to the visit from French President Macron to Indonesia the previous year," said Qodari.