Gerindra, Seskab defend Prabowo’s overseas trips after criticism
Prabowo’s camp says his France visit yielded about US$3.5 billion in commercial deals and cut the entourage by nearly 50 percent.
Gerindra and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya defended President Prabowo Subianto’s frequency of overseas visits after criticism from former Vice Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal. Gerindra spokesman Bahtra Banong said a head of state’s diplomacy cannot be fully replaced by Zoom or phone calls because face-to-face meetings are used to build trust, negotiate and open cooperation opportunities. He cited Prabowo’s latest trip to France, which was said to produce commercial deals worth about US$3.5 billion, or more than Rp61 trillion, in the energy, trade and defense sectors. Teddy also said any excess travel costs were covered personally by Prabowo, while the entourage was now said to number 50-60 people, down nearly 50 percent from the previous period. The criticism came after Dino said Prabowo’s travel intensity was too high and suggested more virtual diplomacy.