Emmanuel Macron, Prabowo Subianto make Gaza peace call

France and Indonesia have pledged to build trade, defence and cultural ties, and to support an end to the conflict in Gaza, during the French leader’s state visit to Indonesia.

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto shake hands during a press conference at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday. Picture: Bay Ismoyo / AFP

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France and Indonesia pledged to build trade, defence and cultural ties on Wednesday and to support an end to the conflict in Gaza during a state visit by President Emmanuel Macron, part of a three-country Southeast Asia tour aimed at promoting France as a reliable partner at a time of intense global uncertainty and a balancing power between the US and China.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto also threw his support behind a Gaza peace conference in New York next month, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, to push for the resumption of discussions on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and reiterated Jakarta’s position that it would recognise the state of Israel once it recognised the Palestinian state.

President Macron, whose week-long trip was briefly overshadowed by what appeared to be a marital stoush captured by cameras on board the French presidential jet, flew into Jakarta on Tuesday night from Hanoi where he signed $US10.3bn ($16bn) in defence, civil aviation, transport and energy deals, and promised closer defence co-operation.

Emmanuel Macron and Prabowo Subianto are all smiles. AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim

The tour comes as both the European Union and ASEAN nations look to diversify supply chains and find new markets in response to global uncertainty triggered by US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, his questioning of historical alliances, and China’s growing territorial assertiveness.

“Our partnership on all the fields, defence and security, economy, culture is already strong, but we are strengthening it,” Mr Macron said.

“I think this is to the best way to ... handle the business in challenging times.”

Vietnam and Singapore – Mr Macron’s final stop where he will give the keynote speech at the annual Shangri-La defence dialogue – already have free trade agreements with the EU, while Indonesia is in talks to establish one.

Ahead of the French President’s arrival, Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the two countries would sign a defence letter of intent to develop co-operation in “strategic military hardware” though neither leader gave any further detail of that agreement, perhaps cognisant of concern within the EU about the need to conserve defence capacity for the security challenges on its doorstep.

While the two presidents signed 15 Memoranda of Understanding, including agreements on critical minerals, agriculture, creative economy, culture and disaster management, both focused heavily on Gaza and Ukraine during their joint press conference with Mr Macron emphasising Paris and Jakarta’s alignment on the need for an end to both conflicts.

“We share the same desire regarding autonomy but we also share the same vision concerning international law - a vision that cannot tolerate double standards,” he said. “Therefore we hope for lasting peace in Ukraine through a ceasefire and an end to armed aggression.

“The same applies to the situation in Palestine and Israel,” he said, adding “ultimately we are working towards a two-state solution – two countries recognising each other and achieving lasting peace”.

Mr Macron thanked Mr Prabowo for his commitment and engagement ahead of next month’s Gaza conference, adding; “Despite the geographic difference my message is simple; France stands with Indonesia. In many aspects, we share a common vision for global order.”

Mr Prabowo hailed France’s role in helping modernise Indonesia’s defence capacity, which in recent years has included an $US8.1bn order for 42 French Dassault Aviation-built Rafale fighter jets, the first six of which are to be delivered next January, as well as 13 long-range air-surveillance radars and two “Scorpene” submarines.

He told reporters Indonesia was prepared to send peacekeeping troops to the Middle East to help police any Gaza ceasefire, and repeated Indonesia’s longstanding position that “once Palestine is recognised by Israel, Indonesia is prepared to recognise Israel and open diplomatic relations”.

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

While the independence of the Palestinian people was “the only true path to peace”, Israel’s right to exist as a secure and sovereign state must also be protected, he added in a statement likely to be parsed in Jerusalem for signs of a softening from the world’s most-populous Muslim nation.

Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and France does not recognise the state of Palestine, though Mr Macron is reported to be considering recognising a Palestinian state during the New York meeting which will also discuss humanitarian aid to help reconstruct the flattened strip.

While the French tour has been touted as part of a broader European effort to build closer ties with Southeast Asia, Mr Macron has repeatedly underscored France’s reliability in times of global uncertainty.

“With France, you have a known, reliable and trustworthy friend ... and in the times we are living through, that alone has great value,” Macron said on Monday before urging students at Hanoi’s University of Science and Technology late on Tuesday to embrace a “third way” between the US and China.

France’s “Indo-Pacific strategy” offered a “path of freedom” and “sovereignty” for Vietnam, which was currently caught between Washington’s threatened trade levies and Beijing’s strongarm tactics in the South China Sea, he said.