JAKARTA: French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday in a visit aimed at boosting defense and trade cooperation as part of his roughly week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties in an increasingly unstable global landscape.
Macron arrived in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday evening with French First Lady Brigitte Macron for a three-day visit to Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It was the second stop in his tour of the region after Vietnam, where Macron signed a deal to sell Hanoi 20 Airbus planes.
“We are very excited to meet again with my brother, President Prabowo,” Macron told reporters shortly after arriving at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma air force base late Tuesday, “He is a great friend of mine and the relationship with your country is a very strategic and friendly one.”
Military cooperation between Indonesia and France has grown in recent years, while Subianto was serving as Indonesia’s defense minister.
The two leaders met last November on the sidelines of the 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil, where they discussed Indonesia’s plans to buy fighter jets and submarines from France.
Indonesia finalized an order for 42 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in January 2024, and the first delivery is expected in early 2026. The country also announced the purchase of two French Scorpene Evolved submarines and 13 Thales ground control interception radars. Five of the radar systems are expected to be installed in the country’s new capital, Nusantara.
Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the two leaders will oversee the signing of letter of intent for the procurement of strategic weapons systems including fighter planes and submarines.
“The essence of this (visit) is to strengthen defense cooperation between Indonesia and France,” Sjamsoeddin told reporters after welcoming Macron and his wife at the air force base on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Subianto hosted Macron and Brigitte in a ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta before the two leaders led a bilateral meeting.
Indonesia has embarked on a drive to upgrade and modernize its arsenal and strengthen its domestic defense industry.
Subianto has crisscrossed the globe since he was appointed as defense minister in 2019, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkiye and the United States in a bid to acquire new military weapon systems as well as surveillance and territorial defense capabilities.
The Indonesian Air Force currently operates a mix of fighter jets made in various countries, including the United States, Russia and Britain. Some of those aircraft have reached or will soon reach their end-of-life phase and need to be replaced or upgraded.
During the visit, Macron is also scheduled to meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn to discuss regional issues, and to give public lectures at Jakarta State University.
On Thursday, Macron and his wife are expected visit Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple in the center of Indonesia’s Java island and to visit a military academy before heading to Singapore, where he will speak at Asia’s top defense conference, the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.
![]()
Indonesian and French leaders meet for defense and trade talks
Short Url
https://arab.news/peee3
Indonesian and French leaders meet for defense and trade talks
- Emmanuel Macron is on a week-long trip to Southeast Asia focused on strengthening regional ties
- Military cooperation between Indonesia and France has grown in recent years
Animal trafficking reaches record high in 2025: Interpol
LYON: Demand for exotic pets drove seizures of live animals to a record high in 2025, the Interpol police agency said Thursday as it announced a clampdown that led to the interception of nearly 30,000 animals.
Interpol said that wildlife crime is now an industry worth more than $20 billion a year, ranging from the movement of thousands of shark fins to banned ivory and primate meat.
In a month-long operation from September 15, law enforcement in 134 countries seized 6,160 birds, 2,040 tortoises, 1,150 reptiles, 208 primates, 46 pangolins, 10 “big cats” and 19,415 other wild animals, Interpol said in a statement. Some 1,100 suspects were detained.
It said that in Qatar, authorities detained a man seeking to sell a primate threatened with extinction for $14,000 on a social media platform. In Brazil, police identified 145 suspects as they rescued more than 200 animals, including in a crackdown on an international golden lion tamarin trafficking ring.
“A shipment from Asia intercepted at a North American mail center contained over 1,300 primate body parts including bones skulls and other derivatives,” the statement said.
Nearly 10,500 butterflies, spiders and insects were also caught in Operation Thunder 2025, highlighting the variety of species being targeted, according to Interpol.
“While live animal seizures reached a record high this year — driven largely by demand for exotic pets — most wildlife trafficking involved animal remains, parts and derivatives, often used in traditional medicine or specialty foods,” the Lyon-based agency said.
“Estimates put the annual value of wildlife crime at $20 billion, but the clandestine nature of the trade suggests that the real figure is likely much higher.”
Interpol said there was “an escalating illicit trade” in bushmeat, the term used for wild animal meat.
It said Belgian authorities intercepted “primate meat,” Kenyan officials seized over 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of giraffe meat and Tanzanian law enforcement recovered zebra and antelope meat and skins valued at $10,000.
“Globally, a record 5.8 tons of bushmeat was seized, with a notable increase in cases from Africa into Europe.”
The clampdown also resulted in the seizure of some 32,000 cubic meters of illegally cut wood. Interpol said that illegal forestry accounts for between 15 and 30 percent of global wood trade.
Interpol said that wildlife crime is now an industry worth more than $20 billion a year, ranging from the movement of thousands of shark fins to banned ivory and primate meat.
In a month-long operation from September 15, law enforcement in 134 countries seized 6,160 birds, 2,040 tortoises, 1,150 reptiles, 208 primates, 46 pangolins, 10 “big cats” and 19,415 other wild animals, Interpol said in a statement. Some 1,100 suspects were detained.
It said that in Qatar, authorities detained a man seeking to sell a primate threatened with extinction for $14,000 on a social media platform. In Brazil, police identified 145 suspects as they rescued more than 200 animals, including in a crackdown on an international golden lion tamarin trafficking ring.
“A shipment from Asia intercepted at a North American mail center contained over 1,300 primate body parts including bones skulls and other derivatives,” the statement said.
Nearly 10,500 butterflies, spiders and insects were also caught in Operation Thunder 2025, highlighting the variety of species being targeted, according to Interpol.
“While live animal seizures reached a record high this year — driven largely by demand for exotic pets — most wildlife trafficking involved animal remains, parts and derivatives, often used in traditional medicine or specialty foods,” the Lyon-based agency said.
“Estimates put the annual value of wildlife crime at $20 billion, but the clandestine nature of the trade suggests that the real figure is likely much higher.”
Interpol said there was “an escalating illicit trade” in bushmeat, the term used for wild animal meat.
It said Belgian authorities intercepted “primate meat,” Kenyan officials seized over 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of giraffe meat and Tanzanian law enforcement recovered zebra and antelope meat and skins valued at $10,000.
“Globally, a record 5.8 tons of bushmeat was seized, with a notable increase in cases from Africa into Europe.”
The clampdown also resulted in the seizure of some 32,000 cubic meters of illegally cut wood. Interpol said that illegal forestry accounts for between 15 and 30 percent of global wood trade.
Latest updates
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.