France eyes to beef up ties with Southeast Asian nations
France wants to further strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations to be in a situation to have credible diplomacy, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu told his Indonesian couterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on November 25.
French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu (R) and his Indonesian couterpart Prabowo Subianto (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Jakarta (VNA) - France wants to further strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations to be in a situation to have credible diplomacy, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu told his Indonesian couterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on November 25.
France needs to maintain political interaction with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said, stressing that his country wants to play a multilateral role in the region.
Lecornu also highlighted the strong relationship between France and Indonesia, saying that there is a powerful strategic intimacy that is being formed between Indonesia and France.
The meeting between the Indonesian and French ministers took place in the context that Indonesia will officially assume the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2023.
France is currently an observer of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM ), consisting of Defence Ministers and representatives of 🍸defence ministries of ASEAN member countries and the bloc’s partner countries namely Australia,𝐆 China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US./.
Representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in France attended the ASEAN Family day in Croissy-sur-Seine city, held by embassies of the ASEAN member states on July 29.
Indonesia and France are boosting cooperation in maritime affairs and aquaculture, marked by the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) on the establishment of bilateral maritime dialogue, a joint statement on the development of marine and fisheries cooperation programmes, and a LOI on the development of eco-friendly seaports in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) has said it will develop environmentally friendly fishing ports in the country in cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD).
An action plan to deepen strategic partnership between Indonesia and France in the 2022-2027 period was signed within the framework of French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian’s visit to Indonesia on November 24.
The Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed a partnership for the implementation of a low-carbon transition study for Indonesia.
Themed “emerging trends in terrorism and violent extremism”, the event drew over 200 participants from domestic and international agencies, discussing the rapid evolution of terrorism and the need for stronger regional and global cooperation.
Indonesia aims to start nuclear power generation by 2034, with a government roadmap already in place to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) with capacities ranging from 300 to 500 megawatts.
The package, endorsed on June 24, comprises 481 projects designed to boost GDP by an additional 0.4% and generate temporary employment for about 7.4 million people nationwide.
An Indonesian official emphasised that energy security is extremely essential amid global geopolitical and economic fragmentation, highlighting the need for the energy industry to strengthen resilience and responsiveness in the face of fluctuating oil prices and the shift to clean energy.
ASEAN must deepen collaboration through platforms such as the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) to ensure regional responses keep pace with the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
Speaking at the launch of the Indonesia Economic Prospects June 2025 edition on June 23 in Jakarta, Turk noted that Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 4.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Anti-dumping duties will continue to be imposed on producers from China and Japan while those on relevant exporters from the RoK and Vietnam will be terminated, starting from June 23.
A specialist police unit has acquired a fleet of off-road vehicles to help officers navigate rough, unpaved terrain – and flood waters – to respond more quickly to public security incidents.
The pact covers goods, services, investments, intellectual property rights, customs facilitation, competition policy, sanitary and phytosanitary, trade and sustainable development, government procurement and economic cooperation.
The talent programmes mark another milestone in the technical partnership between PETRONAS and the Energy Institute, which focuses on three pillars: promoting decarbonisation and operational excellence through innovative solutions, enabling informed decision-making with expert advice, and nurturing the next generation of energy professionals.
The firefighters found an active blaze at the lorry depot located in the city of Pasir Gudang near the state capital of Johor Bahru, with flames spreading quickly due to strong winds and igniting a neighboring disused oil storage area.
Investigators believe the operation is part of a broader scam network involving romance scams, where victims are lured into fake relationships and persuaded to transfer money.
Ambassadors, Consuls General, along with staff and their families, joined traditional sports and cultural activities of Southeast Asia and performances bearing regional identity, thus contributing to strengthening unity and the ASEAN community spirit in New York.
In his post on social media the same day, Hun Manet said energy companies would be able to import sufficiently from other sources to meet domestic fuel and gas demands in the country.
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu (R) and his Indonesian couterpart Prabowo Subianto (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
