President Prabowo Subianto met counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris, just a day after talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin about oil, the government in Jakarta said.
Prabowo met Macron at the Elysee Palace yesterday “to discuss enhancing strategic cooperation between the two countries,” Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said in a statement.
Earlier, Teddy said “the face-to-face meeting would “also serve as an important moment for Indonesia to convey its strategic perspectives on global dynamics,” without providing more details on the agenda.
Teddy said Prabowo met for five hours with Putin at the Kremlin on Monday, flying directly from the Russian capital to Paris.
With Putin, he had discussed “strengthening their strategic partnership, particularly in the sectors of energy, mineral resources, and national industrial development,” said Teddy.
Prabowo, who recently travelled to South Korea and Japan, has justified his slew of foreign visits.
“Brothers and sisters, it’s to secure oil, I have to go everywhere,” he said in an address to his cabinet this month.
Like many nations, Indonesia has come under pressure from soaring global oil prices over the Middle East conflict.
South-East Asia’s largest economy, where fuel is heavily subsidised, is an oil producer but nevertheless a net importer.
Last month, Prabowo’s government announced fuel rationing and mandated a day-per-week work-from-home policy for civil servants to conserve energy stocks.
It has vowed not to increase fuel prices this year.
Jakarta, while defending a non-aligned diplomatic posture, last year joined the BRICS bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia and China.
But Prabowo has also signed a trade deal with US President Donald Trump and joined his so-called “Board of Peace”. — AFP
