Indonesian and French leaders meet for defense and trade talks
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday in a visit aimed at boosting defense and trade cooperation as part of his roughly week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties in an increasingly unstable global landscape.
Macron arrived in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening with French First Lady Brigitte Macron for a three-day visit to Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It was the second stop in his tour of the region after Vietnam, where Macron signed a deal to sell Hanoi 20 Airbus planes.
“We are very excited to meet again with my brother, President Prabowo,” Macron told reporters shortly after arriving at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma air force base late Tuesday, “He is a great friend of mine and the relationship with your country is a very strategic and friendly one.”
Military cooperation between Indonesia and France has grown in recent years, while Subianto was serving as Indonesia’s defense minister.
The two leaders met last November on the sidelines of the 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil, where they discussed Indonesia’s plans to buy fighter jets and submarines from France.
Indonesia finalized an order for 42 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in January 2024, and the first delivery is expected in early 2026. The country also announced the purchase of two French Scorpene Evolved submarines and 13 Thales ground control interception radars. Five of the radar systems are expected to be installed in the country’s new capital, Nusantara.
Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the two leaders will oversee the signing of letter of intent for the procurement of strategic weapons systems including fighter planes and submarines.
“The essence of this (visit) is to strengthen defense cooperation between Indonesia and France,” Sjamsoeddin told reporters after welcoming Macron and his wife at the air force base on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Subianto hosted Macron and Brigitte in a ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta before the two leaders led a bilateral meeting.
Indonesia has embarked on a drive to upgrade and modernize its arsenal and strengthen its domestic defense industry.
Subianto has crisscrossed the globe since he was appointed as defense minister in 2019, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkey and the United States in a bid to acquire new military weapon systems as well as surveillance and territorial defense capabilities.
The Indonesian Air Force currently operates a mix of fighter jets made in various countries, including the United States, Russia and Britain. Some of those aircraft have reached or will soon reach their end-of-life phase and need to be replaced or upgraded.
During the visit, Macron is also scheduled to meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn to discuss regional issues, and to give public lectures at Jakarta State University.
On Thursday, Macron and his wife are expected visit Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple in the center of Indonesia’s Java island and to visit a military academy before heading to Singapore, where he will speak at Asia’s top defense conference, the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.