France's President Macron to Visit Indonesia in May, Foreign Minister Affirms

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot ensured that France’s President Emmanuel Macron will embark on a state visit to Indonesia in May 2025.

Macron's planned visit became one of the agendas discussed in the bilateral meeting between the two ministers today, Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

"We discussed the preparation for the visit and outlined priority steps to boost the relationship between the two countries and to produce results from the visit," Sugiono told reporters.

Sugiono also presented several main topics of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and France discussed in the meeting, such as energy transition, food security, defense, digital transformation, and cultural relations.

The minister hoped for the cooperation between Indonesia and France to yield concrete results for the people of both countries, expressing the wish for Macron’s upcoming visit to bolster the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"The outcomes must be something tangible, impactful, and involve all relevant stakeholders," he said.

French minister Barrot also reiterated Macron’s intention to visit the Southeast Asian country. "We are actively preparing, and together, the visit of the President (Macron) in May," he said.

Barrot also emphasized the importance of cooperation between Indonesia and France in responding to various international crises, including conflicts in a number of Middle Eastern countries, as well as Ukraine, Africa, and Myanmar. 

He underscored the distressing humanitarian situation in several regions, such as Sudan, the Middle East, and Myanmar. According to him, Indonesia and France, as countries committed to peace, must unite to pursue sustainable solutions.

The French minister emphasized that this visit is an opportunity for both countries to express their views on the importance of multilateralism in addressing global issues. "This is a moment to strengthen collaboration through dialogue and peace," he said.

He also expressed his confidence that the leaders of both countries will continue to hold comprehensive discussions on these strategic issues. France and Indonesia have a long history of supporting conflict resolution through diplomatic endeavors, including through the UN and other international organizations.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 12, as reported by Antara, Macron conveyed his plan to visit Indonesia in May to the minister during the AI Action Summit held in Paris, France, on Tuesday.

"I will...I will...I love your country," Macron said to Meutya.

If Macron's plan materializes, it will be the first state visit by a President of France to Indonesia since the joint declaration of the strategic partnership between the two countries in 2011. Prime Minister François Fillon and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met in Jakarta at the time.

Meutya stated that Macron's planned visit will be a crucial moment in strengthening the bilateral relations between Indonesia and France.

Olivia Subandi contributed to this article.

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