Jakarta, May 28, 2025 – The Europe Today: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto officially welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, marking the start of the French leader’s state visit to Indonesia as part of his diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia.
President Macron’s regional tour, which began in Vietnam, includes scheduled stops in Indonesia and Singapore, with the Jakarta leg of the visit continuing until May 29.
The French president and his delegation arrived at the Merdeka Palace at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time, where they were greeted with full ceremonial honors. The welcome included an honor guard, cavalry escort, and enthusiastic cheers from hundreds of elementary school students waving the flags of Indonesia and France.
On the palace veranda, President Prabowo personally greeted President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron as they alighted from their vehicle. The leaders exchanged a warm handshake before proceeding to a ceremonial stage, where the national anthems of both countries were performed, accompanied by a 21-gun salute.
Following the ceremony, President Prabowo invited his French counterpart to inspect the honor guards in the palace courtyard. The two leaders then introduced their respective delegations.
The Indonesian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, along with several other cabinet members.
Subsequently, the heads of state proceeded into the Credential Room, where they took an official photo and signed the state guest book. President Prabowo and President Macron then held a private one-on-one meeting in the president’s office.
During this time, Didit Hediprasetyo, President Prabowo’s son, accompanied First Lady Brigitte Macron back to her vehicle.
As part of the visit’s formal agenda, President Prabowo and President Macron are scheduled to lead a bilateral meeting with their respective delegations, culminating in the signing of several cooperation agreements and a joint press conference.
On Thursday, President Prabowo is expected to accompany President Macron to Borobudur Temple and the Indonesian Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java—two destinations the French president personally requested to visit.
