Macron in Indonesia: French president presses ahead on his South Asia tour amid increasingly unstable global landscape

The French president met with his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday as Emmanuel Macron continued his week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties in an increasingly unstable global landscape. Macron and France’s first lady Brigitte Macron arrived in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening for the second stop in his tour after Vietnam, where Macron signed a deal to sell Hanoi 20 Airbus planes. On arrival, Macron had warm words for Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, describing him as a brother and “a great friend of mine.” Military cooperation between Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and France grew in recent years, starting in 2019 when Subianto became defense minister. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Carys Garland welcomes Dr. Zachary M. Abuza, Professor of National Security Strategy at National War College.