Indonesia and France have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s planned state visit to Indonesia in May. 

This was highlighted in a meeting between Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono, and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, in Jakarta on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

Sugiono emphasized the significance of this collaboration and hoped for best results.

”We are committed to ensuring that our partnership with France yields concrete and mutually beneficial results. The upcoming visit of President Macron will mark a new milestone in our diplomatic relations." he said as quoted in a statement on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

The meeting focused on key areas of cooperation, including energy transition, food security, defense, digital transformation, and cultural relations. The two sides emphasized the importance of producing tangible and impactful outcomes involving all relevant stakeholders.

French investments in Indonesia have shown a positive trend, reaching US$328 million in 2024. Both countries agreed to further enhance investment in sectors such as renewable energy, critical minerals, creative economy, logistics and transportation, and green infrastructure.

On digital and creative economies, Indonesia and France aim to strengthen collaboration in developing a digital economy ecosystem and training creative talents, including in the film industry. Both parties expressed their hopes for increased joint projects and expanded opportunities for young digital talents.

In the defense sector, Indonesia welcomes the ratification of the Defense Cooperation Agreement by the French Parliament and committed to further strengthening military cooperation. Maritime collaboration was also recognized as crucial for ensuring a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Indonesia acknowledged France’s naval military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, including the La Pérouse mission in January 2025, and both nations agreed to hold a 2+2 dialogue between their foreign and defense ministers to discuss regional and global issues.

Additionally, Indonesia expressed gratitude for France’s support for peace efforts in Palestine and underlined the importance of diplomatic solutions through multilateral mechanisms for resolving the Ukraine conflict.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the success of President Macron’s upcoming visit and achieving concrete outcomes that benefit both nations.