France’s defence minister met his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta on Friday, lauding the close ties between the two countries following an $8 billion fighter jet deal signed earlier this year.
“There is a powerful strategic intimacy that is being born with Indonesia and France,” French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu told AFP.
Indonesia placed an order for 42 of France’s Rafale fighter jets in an $8.1 billion deal agreed to in February.
The two countries are also in talks over the purchase of two French Scorpene-class attack submarines.
Lecornu met his counterpart Prabowo Subianto as Indonesia prepares to take over the rotating presidency of regional block the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
France has been accepted as an observer state in ADMM-Plus, ASEAN’s defence platform, Lecornu tweeted Saturday, joining countries including the United States and China.
“This is recognition of our investment in regional security and stability,” Lecornu said in the tweet.
France wants to further strengthen ties in Southeast Asia “to be in a position to fight against escalation, to rearm and to be in a situation to have credible diplomacy,” Lecornu told AFP.
He added that France also needed to remain engaged “politically” in the area, stressing that Paris wanted to play a multilateral role in the region.
France reacted with fury last year when Australia, Britain and the United States revealed the AUKUS pact, which saw Washington supply Australia with nuclear-powered subs, ditching a French contract.
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US announces $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine
Washington (AFP) Nov 10, 2022
The United States will provide air defense systems and surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine as part of a new $400 million security assistance package, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.
With “Russia’s unrelenting and brutal air attacks on Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure, additional air defense capabilities are critical,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists.
The package includes four short-range, highly mobile Avenger air defense systems – the first time … read more
