At a joint press conference after the meeting with Barrot, Sugiono said that this aligned vision is reflected in the recent decision of the National Assembly of France to ratify a defense cooperation agreement with Indonesia.
"I appreciate the ratification of the defense cooperation by the French parliament and agree to step up our relations in that field," he added at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The minister then highlighted the importance of Indonesia and France collaborating in maritime security-related activities to pave the way for a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
He also spoke highly of the France-led La Perouse multinational military exercise, which took place in Indonesian waters in January this year. The drill saw participation from navies of several nations connected to the Indo-Pacific region, including Indonesia.
Sugiono said that the governments of Indonesia and France share the same views on the need to once again organize dialogues on regional and global issues between their foreign affairs and defense ministers under the 2+2 mechanism.
Earlier, on March 21, 2025, French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu, took to social media platform X to announce that the French National Assembly "has definitively ratified our (France's) defense cooperation agreement with Indonesia."
He also expressed confidence that France will take its bilateral defense relations with Indonesia to the next level, aligning with its commitment to contributing to efforts to maintain stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives (DPR) simultaneously ratified defense cooperation agreements reached with France, India, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, and Brazil at a plenary session on September 30, 2024.
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Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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