The China Mail - France, Indonesia call for Israeli-Palestinian progress as Macron visits

It came as Paris and Jakarta signed a series of cooperation agreements, with Macron seeking to deepen trade and defence ties with Southeast Asia's largest economy on a three-country tour promoting France as a balancing power between the United States and China.

Speaking next to his French counterpart, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made the rare pledge of recognising Israel if it allowed for a Palestinian state. Indonesia has no formal ties with Israel and support for the Palestinian cause runs high there.

"Indonesia sees that the two-state solution and the freedom of Palestine is the only way to achieve the true peace," Prabowo told a news conference.

"We must acknowledge and guarantee Israel's rights as a sovereign country that must be paid attention to and guaranteed safety. Indonesia has stated that once Israel recognises Palestine, Indonesia is ready to recognise Israel and open the diplomatic relationship."

Macron issued a joint statement with Prabowo that condemned Israeli plans to take control of Gaza and any moves to "forcibly remove the Palestinian population from their homeland".

But they also called for restoring the political prospect of the two-state solution at a conference Paris will co-chair at the UN headquarters in New York next month with Saudi Arabia and expressed hope for a "credible roadmap".

They said the event "should allow for an irreversible path towards the realisation of a Palestinian State, (and) mutual recognition between Israel and Palestine".

Macron earlier held talks with Prabowo after being greeted by a guard of honour, gun salute and thousands of young Indonesians waving French flags.

"Our partnership on all the fields, defence and security, economy, culture is already strong, but we are strengthening it," Macron told Prabowo.

"Thank you very much for your support, our friendship and your very special attachment to France."

Prabowo replied: "Merci beaucoup, monsieur!"

- 'Third way' -

The nations on Wednesday signed a series of memoranda of understanding on cooperation in a range of fields including defence, trade, agriculture, disaster management, culture and transport.

The French president was later scheduled to meet investors and students and attend a state dinner.

On Thursday he will travel to Yogyakarta on Indonesia's Java island to visit the world's largest Buddhist temple, before heading to Singapore to conclude his six-day tour.

In the face of Donald Trump's tariffs and the United States' economic confrontation with China, Macron was seeking to turn his "third way" position into contracts for French companies, particularly in defence, energy and critical minerals.

He said there would be new Indonesian orders for Rafale jets from French company Dassault Aviation, whose chief Eric Trappier joined the French delegation.

While Jakarta has previously sourced fighter jets from Russia, in recent years it has acquired Rafales.

While Paris intends to step up cooperation on arms with Indonesia's Prabowo, a former defence minister and general, it was also seeking economic wins in other areas.

The new chief executive of French mining giant Eramet, Paulo Castellari, was to be part of a French delegation trying to get Jakarta to increase production at the world's largest nickel mine in eastern Indonesia.

In Vietnam Tuesday, Macron presented France as a "power of peace and balance", committed to an international order "based on law".

This was viewed as a message both to Beijing, which has become increasingly assertive in its territorial claims in the South China Sea, and to Washington over Trump's threats of wide-ranging tariffs.

Macron warned that "constantly creating uncertainty" with trade policy was "holding back investment and the economy".

His remarks came as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- of which Indonesia is a member -- said at the bloc's summit in Malaysia it would speed up efforts to diversify trade networks in the face of Trump's tariffs.

R.Lin--ThChM