Indonesia, France to explore cooperation in various fields

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: The Indonesian and French governments agreed to explore cooperation in various fields, including defense, security, and transfer of defense technology, at the 2+2 meeting in Paris, France, on Friday.

During the meeting, the Indonesian government was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi and Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, while the French government was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna and Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu.

“The 2+2 meeting went very well. Our relationship with France, especially in the defense field, is the best in decades,” Subianto noted in a statement as confirmed by Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Defense Ministry, Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha.

Subianto conveyed President Joko Widodo’s keenness to increase cooperation with France in the defense sector, including those related to technology transfer programs and the purchase of defense equipment.

Hence, during the meeting, the minister sought to explore ways to intensify military cooperation, especially in the fields of education, soldier exchanges, and joint training.

“We are very satisfied with this meeting. We see very good strategic cooperation in the future,” he remarked.

In a separate statement, French Embassy in Indonesia stated that the 2+2 meeting in Paris showed that the two countries have the same interests and aspirations.

The French government views the meeting as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in various fields, considering that the two countries have formed a strategic partnership since 2011 and have also agreed on an action plan for the partnership in the 2022-2027 period.

The statement also outlined several issues in the 2+2 meeting. Apart from cooperation in defense, technology, and industry, the two countries also discussed legal frameworks to strengthen partnerships and cooperation programs as well as to expand cooperation in the maritime sector, disaster management, cybersecurity, and handling transnational crimes.

Another issue discussed by the ministers was cooperation in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

During the meeting, Indonesia’s leadership in the ASEAN in 2023 was also highlighted.