JAKARTA: French President Emmanuel Macron will meet his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Wednesday (Could 28), and strengthening defence ties with Paris’ largest arms shopper in Southeast Asia can be distinguished of their talks.
Indonesia is the second leg of Macron’s regional trip after Vietnam, the place the 2 international locations signed deals price over US$10 billion. He’s scheduled to fly to Singapore on Thursday.
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who welcomed Macron on his arrival on Tuesday evening, mentioned the international locations would signal a defence letter of intent and develop cooperation in “strategic navy {hardware}”, citing fighter jets and submarines.
The international ministry had earlier mentioned the 2 sides would talk about “current strategic partnerships” with out giving particular particulars concerning the areas of debate.
In 2022, the 2 international locations signed a US$8.1 billion defence deal that included an order for 42 Rafale fighter jets made by France’s Dassault Aviation, in addition to a collection of agreements together with submarine improvement and ammunition.
“Some commitments want follow-up and Indonesia has proven curiosity in another navy {hardware}, however there was no progress but,” mentioned Khairul Fahmi, a navy professional at Indonesia-based Institute for Safety and Strategic Research.
No Rafale jets have been delivered to Indonesia but. The chief of the Indonesian Air Drive Mohamad Tonny Harjono mentioned in February that six jets would arrive in Indonesia in early 2026, state information company Antara reported.
