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View all search resultsYearender: A year of leadership leaving home
In one of the country’s most internationally visible stretches in years, Indonesia’s exposure more than doubled, with President Prabowo making 35 overseas visits to 29 countries in 12 months, nearly triple the average annual pace of the previous decade.
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President Prabowo Subianto arrives on May 17, 2025, at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. Prabowo is in Bangkok for an official visit to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. (Presidential Secretariat/Laily Rachev)
T
he presidential jet rarely stood still in 2025. Under its new captain, Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia embarked on one of its busiest years of high-level diplomacy, even as the surge in overseas travel coincided with mounting governance challenges at home, a combination that analysts say has failed to significantly strengthen Jakarta’s international posture.
In one of the country’s most internationally visible stretches in years, Indonesia’s exposure more than doubled, with Prabowo making 35 overseas visits to 29 countries in 12 months, nearly triple the average annual pace of the previous decade.
As the former defense minister rolled out his election-winning flagship programs and consolidated power domestically, the year began with familiar diplomatic engagements, including two visits to neighboring Malaysia in January and a chief-guest appearance at India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations.
With much of the country’s attention focused on the rollout of his initiatives and the coordination of his large cabinet, Prabowo made few overseas trips in the first quarter, recording his longest stretch without foreign travel at two months and 10 days through February and March.
The pace shifted sharply after United States President Donald Trump announced sweeping “liberation tariffs” on April 4. Facing the threat of a 32 percent US tariff, Prabowo pledged intensified diplomacy and embarked on eight overseas visits in April, mostly to the Middle East, setting the tone for a sustained surge in travel.
Read also: Prabowo’s Middle East diplomacy boosts image, but payoff uncertain
For the remainder of the year, the President averaged three foreign visits a month, with his longest tour, spanning five countries, lasting 15 days in July.
