Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has reiterated that France is one of Indonesia’s main partners in modernizing its primary weapons systems, underscoring the deepening strategic relationship between the two countries.

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron during a joint press conference at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday (28/5/2025), he emphasized bilateral collaboration through joint production and technology transfer of defense equipment.

“France is one of Indonesia’s main partners in modernizing defense equipment, including through joint production and technology transfer,” said President Prabowo, as quoted by antara news.com.

Under President Prabowo’s leadership, defense cooperation with France has grown significantly, with Indonesia purchasing 42 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation, two Scorpene submarines from Naval Group, and GCI radar systems from Thales.

During President Macron’s visit, the two leaders witnessed the signing of two defense agreements, namely Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the protection of classified information, and Letter of Intent (LoI) on strategic defense cooperation, signed by Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

In addition to defense, Indonesia and France agreed to 21 cooperation initiatives across various sectors, ranging from military and defense to social welfare programs, such as the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. These agreements span government-to-government, inter-agency, and private sector partnerships, reflecting a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach to bilateral collaboration.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)