President Prabowo Subianto Meets Forbes Chairman to Boost Indonesia–US Economic Ties

Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM, Rosan Roeslani, delivered a press statement to the media after the meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Photo by: Bureau of Press, Media, and Information (BPMI) of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto Wednesday (07/27) welcomed Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, Steve Forbes at the Merdeka Palace.

The two-hour meeting centered on fostering open economic cooperation, exploring investment opportunities, and enhancing strategic relations between Indonesia and the United States.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM, Rosan Roeslani, who joined President Prabowo Subianto during the meeting, described the discussion as warm and productive.

“We discussed a broad range of topics, including exchanging perspectives on Indonesia, the United States, and identifying ways to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries,” Rosan said, adding that the President reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to openness to international cooperation.

“The President expressed his confidence that Indonesia will advance and prosper through open collaboration with numerous nations, including the United States,” Rosan noted.

In the meantime, Steve Forbes also expressed optimism about Indonesia’s future, highlighting the country’s strong growth potential and commending the Government’s ongoing reform initiatives, which he said would further strengthen Indonesia’s global competitiveness.

“We believe the ongoing reforms will allow Indonesia to advance even further. Like a rocket that slowly lifts off and then gains momentum, we see Indonesia as a rocket reaching full speed breaking down business barriers and empowering its people to improve their standard of living,” said Forbes.

He also underscored the positive outlook for U.S.–Indonesia trade relations.

“We are confident that trade between the United States and Indonesia will continue to grow. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship. Indonesia is a nation full of promise for the future and that’s exactly what the world needs today,” Forbes concluded. (Bureau of Press, Media, and Information (BPMI) of Presidential Secretariat) (HYP/EP)