The signed documents spanned a wide range of issues, from culture and education to business and defense, demonstrating the close relationship between the two countries. President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the significance of the visit, noting that Macron was the first European Union leader to visit Indonesia since Prabowo’s inauguration.

Referring to President Macron as "my best friend", Prabowo already shares a close relationship with him, forged during his tenure as defense minister in then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s second presidency. This established rapport paved the way for significant defense procurement deals, including Rafale fighter jets, Scorpene submarines and Thales ground control radar.

One might assume that, being half the world away, France and Indonesia would have few intersecting interests to warrant such intimacy. However, it is important to remember that France possesses overseas territories in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, areas often overlooked by Indonesia despite their proximity.

Military forces from both countries have been actively collaborating through various visits and exercises. These include Mission Clemenceau 25, when the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group made its first visit to Indonesia, and which also encompassed the La Perouse 25 multilateral exercise.

Mission Jeanne d’Arc has visited Indonesia multiple times as a training session for French naval academy cadets. The most recent visit in 2023 also saw the first joint exercise between land forces from both countries, Exercise Garuda Guerrier. Furthermore, the French Air and Space Force is a routine presence in Indonesian skies, bringing in Dassault Rafale fighter jets during the Mission Pegase tour in the region.

These deployments reinforce France’s position as a local Indo-Pacific power amid heightening global tensions. Indeed, France is arguably the second most active country in military exercises in the region, surpassed only by the United States. France is well-positioned to play a greater role in the region, especially as the US demonstrates increasingly isolationist tendencies and engages in full-scale trade wars, even with its closest allies.

To be more widely welcomed in the Indo-Pacific, France should focus on acting as a local power rather than a foreign power dictating terms to countries in the region. One effective avenue for achieving this is to pursue win-win solutions in business and economic cooperation with regional countries, ensuring mutual benefits and welfare.

Such close cooperation is vital as the world endeavors to navigate the "clash of the titans" – the heated political and economic competition between the US and China. While most countries cannot afford to completely avoid both superpowers, finding new opportunities for collaboration offers a crucial refuge should Sino-US ties deteriorate further.

Ultimately, it rests on France to determine whether it can become a trusted alternative power, at least for Indonesia, to foster broader regional collaborations.

In Jakarta, President Macron witnessed the signing of various memorandums of understanding (MoU), reportedly valued at approximately US$11 billion. These agreements included a partnership between French mining giant Eramet and Indonesian investment bodies INA and Danantara. An MoU was also signed between food conglomerate Danone and the National Nutrition Agency, alongside several other agreements in the energy and finance sectors.

The strong relationship was further demonstrated by Macron's invitation to Prabowo to be the guest of honor for the Bastille Day parade on July 14, which included a request for the Indonesian Military (TNI) to send a contingent to participate.

Macron concluded his visit on Thursday by visiting the Military Academy, where future military leaders are trained, and Borobudur Temple, an 8th-century world heritage site in Magelang, Central Java. This visit symbolized the bilateral relations between both countries, which are deeply rooted in history, as well as the preparedness of both countries to face future challenges as they approach the centenary of their bilateral ties.