On Friday, July 21, 2023, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi made a courtesy call on French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France. The meeting aimed to discuss Indonesia's commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with France based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Among the topics discussed were the purchase of defense armaments and defense cooperation, which included the transfer of technology, joint development, and production, as well as defense principles. Minister Subianto emphasized that Indonesia's defense policy for the period 2020-2024 focuses on fostering international cooperation in the defense sector, including collaboration with countries in the South Pacific region.

Before meeting President Macron, Subianto and Marsudi participated in a 2+2 meeting with their French counterparts, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The 2+2 meeting was highly productive, and Minister Subianto described Indonesia's relationship with France, especially in the defense field, as the strongest it has been in decades.

During the meeting with President Macron, Minister Subianto conveyed President Joko Widodo's keen interest in expanding defense cooperation with France, particularly in technology transfer programs and the acquisition of defense equipment.

Moreover, the ministers sought to explore opportunities to intensify military cooperation, focusing on areas such as education, soldier exchanges, and joint training. Subianto expressed great satisfaction with the meeting and expressed optimism about the prospects of future strategic cooperation between the two nations.