Defense Minister Subianto Meets French Air Force Chief of Staff in Jakarta

TheIndonesia.id - Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto welcomed French Air and Space Force chief of staff Stephane Mille during his visit to Jakarta where Subianto reiterated France as Indonesia’s main “strategic partner” in geopolitics and geostrategy.

Mille visited the Ministry of Defense’s headquarters on Monday, July 11, in a step that Subianto said will strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

“French is the main strategic partner for Indonesia in geopolitics and geostrategy,” Subianto said in statement released by the Ministry.

He continued that in Indo-Pacific, France plays a strategic and crucial role to ensure peace, security, and stability in the region.

The Ministry of Defense also appreciated France’s support for the modernization of Indonesia’s primary weaponry system (alutsista).

Previously, Subianto and French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly met in Jakarta on February 10 where the two state officials discussed the follow up to a number of issues related to agreements in defense sector after the signing of Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in June last year.

Among the cooperation focuses discussed in the meeting is training and education for military personnel.

The bilateral meeting also saw the signing of a number of agreements, including purchase agreement of six 6 Rafale fighter aircrafts between the Ministry of Defense’s Defense Facilities Agency and French manufacturer Dassault, as part of a larger contract involving 36 Rafale fighter aircrafts.

Other agreements signed in the occasion were memorandum of understanding (MoU) on submarine research and development cooperation between PT PAL and Naval Group, MoU on offset and transfer of technology (ToT) cooperation between Dassault and PT DI, MoU on cooperation in telecommunications sector between PT LEN and Thales Group, and cooperation to manufacture large-caliber munitions between PT Pindad and Nexter Munition.

At the time, Parly said France is committed to actively support Indonesia’s massive strategic programs and the development of its defense industry.