By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, May 28 (Bernama) -- Indonesia and France seek to deepen their strategic defence ties with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Jakarta on Wednesday, officials said.
The agreement aims to expand cooperation in defence, particularly in the area of strategic weapons systems, Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said in a statement after welcoming Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron.
“We will be enhancing defence cooperation, especially in relation to strategic defence equipment,” Sjafrie said.
As part of his three-day visit ending on Thursday, Macron is scheduled to travel to the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, where he will inspect French language training facilities for Indonesian military personnel.
“He will visit the French language laboratory used by soldiers, officers, and non-commissioned officers of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). Many of them are already fluent,” Sjafrie added.
Macron’s aircraft touched down in Jakarta at around 10 am local time on Tuesday and was received with a ceremonial welcome.
His visit marks a renewed effort to boost bilateral ties across key strategic sectors, with defence high on the agenda.
-- BERNAMA
