JAKARTA - The Gerindra Party is concerned about President Prabowo Subianto's visit to Paris, France, which coincides with the momentum of Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah. Gerindra emphasized that the visit was a state agenda and not a personal trip.
Gerindra Party spokesman Bahtra Banong asked the public not to politicize President Prabowo's visit to France just because it was carried out during Eid al-Adha.
"This is not the president's personal journey, but a state duty. State agendas like this are prepared through long and measured diplomatic communication between countries. It just happens to coincide with Eid al-Adha," Bahtra said in his statement, Wednesday, May 27.
The Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Gerindra Faction explained that Prabowo's foreign visit was part of a strategic diplomacy agenda that had been planned for a long time.
According to Bahtra, in the midst of uncertain global geopolitical and economic situations, President Prabowo is actually fighting for national interests through strengthening relations with strategic partner countries, including France.
He said France is an important partner for Indonesia in the fields of defense, investment, technology, energy, and strategic industries.
Bahtra also touched on the closeness of Prabowo's relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron in the past year. One of them was seen when Prabowo was an honorary guest at the 2025 Bastille Day commemoration.
According to him, the public should see the concrete benefits of the visit for Indonesia, ranging from investment opportunities, economic strengthening, technology transfer, to increasing Indonesia's bargaining position at the global level.
"Don't narrow the agenda of the country into a symbolic framing that has political nuances," he said.
Bahtra assessed that Prabowo certainly wanted to celebrate Eid al-Adha with the people in the country. However, as the head of state, the state duty must still be carried out without knowing the time.
"President Prabowo's willingness to go abroad on the holiday proves that the interests of the nation and the people of Indonesia are above everything else. This is a form of dedication by a head of state," he said.
Previously, President Prabowo carried out the Eid al-Adha prayer 1447 Hijriah in Paris, France, Wednesday, May 27 local time. The Id prayer was held at the Indonesian Embassy in Paris.
The Cabinet Secretariat stated that Prabowo's visit to France had been planned for a long time. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the invitation from the French government had been scheduled since last year and had been rescheduled several times.
Prabowo arrived in Paris on Tuesday, May 26 at around 09.50 local time via Orly Airport, Paris, France.
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