Military and Mining High on France-Indonesia Partnership Agenda
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Jarkarta, Indonesia, in the evening of Tuesday 27 May 2025. A meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto then took place on Wednesday morning.
Last time the two leaders met was on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil in November 2024. Subianto was formerly Indonesia’s Defense Minister and had entered into talk with Macron regarding the procurement of military hardware. Previously, Indonesia had expressed interest to purchase 42 Rafale fighter jets, 2 Scorpene-Evolved submarines and 13 Thales Ground Fire radar systems, and Macron would like to seal more military sales.
Both sides appear eager to deepen defense cooperation and are planning to undertake joint military exercises. Macron sees Indonesia as a key partner within France’s #IndoPacific strategy. The Lombok Strait is taken by large vessels such as oil tankers and bulkers which cannot go through the shallow Malacca Strait.
Indonesia possesses the largest known global reserves of #nickel, which is one of the #CriticalMinerals that go into the making #EV batteries and superalloys. French firm Eramet (EPA: ERA) has a JV with Chinese company Tsingshan to carry out ferronickel mining and processing in Weda Bay.
During a welcome ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, Macron and Subianto witnessed the signing of more than a dozen agreements. Macron also met with ASEAN’s Secretary-Genearl Kao Kim Hourn and visited Jakarta State University.
On Thursday evening, Macron departed for Singapore where he is expected to deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue.