Prabowo’s international focus flagged for missing opportunities

Source: The Jakarta Post | Original Published At: 2025-11-06 12:18:42 UTC

Key Points

• Prabowo's frequent overseas engagements and diplomatic milestones
• Indonesia's entry into BRICS and trade negotiations with the US
• Criticism of Prabowo's instinct-driven diplomacy lacking coherent strategy
• Unclear objectives for BRICS membership and prioritization of global over regional forums

Dozens of academics and diplomats gathered in a panel hosted by the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Wednesday to assess and discuss the foreign policy taken by Prabowo in the first year of his administration, marked by a seemingly shifting diplomatic posture under his leadership.

The panel highlighted several diplomatic milestones under Prabowo, including his unusually frequent overseas engagements, the country’s entry into BRICS, trade tariff negotiations with the United States and participation in the Gaza peace process.

With extensive travels and appearances on international stages, Prabowo has cemented himself as a foreign policy-driven president, analysts concurred during the event. But they noted the President’s diplomacy often appears guided more by personal instincts rather than by a coherent strategy or institutional process.

“Prabowo has a sound strategic instinct,” said CSIS international relations department head Lina Alexandra.

“But what we are seeing is a highly centralized setting for policy formulation, and weak articulation of what he wants to do with Indonesia’s international activism.”

An example would be unclear goals for Indonesia for its BRICS membership, she added, while also highlighting Prabowo’s tendency to favor high-profile global gatherings over forums where Indonesia has traditionally held stronger influence, such as ASEAN.