ROM, KOMPAS.com – French President Emmanuel Macron tries to improve relations with India and Indonesia after Paris was knocked out by a defense pact between the United States (USA), Great Britain and Australia (AUKUS).

Since losing a major submarine deal with Canberra, which joined the AUKUS alliance to better face China, France has sought support in leading Asian countries for deeper strategic ties in the Pacific region.

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On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome, Macron first met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, followed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His talks focused on the region’s growing economic influence and the rivalry between the US and China.

“There is a common desire to further develop the Indo-Pacific strategy,” said the French side after a conversation with Modi AFP on Saturday (10/30/2021).

A follow-up meeting will be held next week to refine the common agenda.

France and India, who first defined the Indo-Pacific strategy in 2018. Both found “a great deal of agreement … on the guiding principles of our actions in the Indo-Pacific: trust, independence and unity”, according to the French presidential office.

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France sees itself as a power in the Pacific thanks to its overseas holdings in New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

The country is now pursuing ambitions to exert more influence in the region, particularly through Southeast Asia.

Macron and Jokowi talked for half an hour and “decided to work on a real strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific,” said the French Elysee Palace.

It will primarily “address issues of ecological transition, support for jobs and growth in Indonesia and the post-Covid-19 recovery”.

The talks were held in the run-up to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit to Jakarta with Indonesia to take turns in the G20 presidency after Italy.

Jokowi and his French counterpart also checked the coordination in ASEAN, the regional block of Southeast Asia, in which Indonesia, with a population of more than 270 million, plays a key role.

France will become rotating President of the European Union in 2022.

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