France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

established diplomatic relations on 4 January 1950. The indirect relationship between France and Indonesia commenced during the early 19th century colonial

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

. Since 2011 France and Indonesia have formed a strategic partnership. France has an embassy in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

while Indonesia has an embassy in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The relations between the two nations are important as both are democratic republics and each holds significant geopolitical influences in its respective region. France is a key member of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, while Indonesia is a core constituent of

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...

. The diplomatic relations between France and Indonesia are a key element for developing relations between Indonesia and the European Union and between France and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Both nations are the member of

G-20 major economies The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stabil ...

. According to a 2013

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

World Service Poll, 56% of Indonesians view France's influence positively, with only 14% expressing a negative view. This is one of the most favourable perceptions of France in the Asia-Pacific, only lagging behind more positive views by South Korea and Australia.

History

Before Indonesia Independence

The indirect relationship between France and Indonesia commenced during the early 19th century colonial

. During the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

fell to the French Empire, which also seized territorial possessions belonging to the Netherlands in the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...

. For a short period between 1806 and 1811, Indonesia was subject to French administration. During the reign of Governor General

Herman Willem Daendels Herman Willem Daendels (21 October 1762 – 2 May 1818) was a Dutch military officer and colonial administrator who served as governor-general of the Dutch East Indies from 1808 to 1811. Early life Herman Willem Daendels was born on 21 October 1 ...

(1808–1811), France exercised its political influence in the East Indies through the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

. Daendels was Dutch Francophile, and during his reign in Java he built a grand palace known as ''Het White Huis'' (The White House) or ''Het Groote Huis'' (The Big House), today the Indonesian Ministry of Finance building, that demonstrate French

Empire style The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 duri ...

. He also renamed the ''Buffelsveld'' (buffalo field) to ''Champs de Mars'' (today Merdeka square). The battle for Java was fought between British and French-Dutch Republics during

Anglo-Dutch Java War The invasion of Java was a successful British amphibious operation against Java in the Dutch East Indies between August and September 1811 during the Napoleonic Wars. Originally established as a colony of the Dutch East India Company, Java remai ...

in 1811. The French Revolution and its

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

government also inspired the later Indonesian nationalist movement in the early 20th century. The political concept of the Republic of Indonesia was partly influenced by the Republic of France model. Indonesia also adopted the Napoleonic Continental legal system through Dutch intermediary. Indonesian law is often described as a member of the 'civil law' or 'Continental' group of legal systems found in European countries such as France and the Netherlands.

After Indonesia Independence

France recognized Indonesia's sovereignty in 1950 and then established diplomatic relations. Indonesia's first president

Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...

visited France three times in 1963, 1964 and 1965. Then continued by Indonesia's second president

Soeharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...

in 1972, an intense meeting indicated that France was an important country for Indonesia. The first French president to visit Indonesia was

François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...

in 1986, indicating that there was close cooperation between the two countries. In 1992, Soeharto visited France again for strategic economic cooperation. After the fall of the new order regime, President

Abdurrahman Wahid Abdurrahman Wahid ( ; né ad-Dakhil, 7 September 1940 – 30 December 2009), more colloquially known as Gus Dur (), was an Indonesian politician and Islam in Indonesia, Islamic Kyai, religious leader who served as the fourth president of Indone ...

visited France in 2000 and President

Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Indonesia from the m ...

in 2009. In 2017, after 30 years, the French president visited Indonesia again

François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. Before his presidency, he was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of th ...

, indicating the warming of relations between the two countries in the twenty-first century.. During the G20 2022 meeting in

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

, French president

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...

and Indonesian President

Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...

alongside Indonesian Ministry of Defence

Prabowo Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman, and former four-star army general who is serving as the eighth and current president of Indonesia since 2024. He was previously the 26th minister ...

realized the major military and investment procurement for Indonesia and France.

Economic relations

The relationship between France and Indonesia is multifaceted, encompassing development cooperation, robust economic and commercial ties, and cultural exchanges. The long history of collaboration and the presence of French companies in Indonesia underscore the importance of this bilateral relationship, which continues to evolve and strengthen over time. France has maintained a development cooperation program with Indonesia for many years. For thirty years, between 1967 and 2007, France provided aid to Indonesia within the international coordination arrangements established under

Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia The Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia (IGGI) was established in 1967 as an international consortium of official donors to coordinate the provision of foreign assistance to Indonesia. IGGI was the lead official grouping of donors to Indonesia fr ...

and the

Consultative Group on Indonesia Consultation or consultative may refer to: * Public consultation, a process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought * Consultation (Texas), the 1835 Texas meeting of colonists on a proposed rebellion against the Republic of ...

(CGI). During the period when the CGI was active (1992-2007), annual meetings were often held in Paris, facilitating close coordination and collaboration between the two nations on developmental projects. The Indonesian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) was established in 1986 to develop and foster economic, commercial, and financial relations between France and Indonesia. This organization has played a pivotal role in enhancing bilateral trade and investment. In 2011, bilateral trade between France and Indonesia amounted to approximately US$2.5 billion. France has emerged as the 13th largest investor in Indonesia, reflecting a strong economic partnership. Indonesian imports from France include a diverse range of products such as aircraft equipment, machinery and computers, electronic and precision equipment, chemicals, cosmetics and perfumes, food, metals and metallurgical products, and pharmaceuticals. Conversely, France imports agricultural,

silvicultural Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, as well as quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests ...

, and fishery products, as well as textiles and footwear from Indonesia. Currently, about 100 French companies operate in Indonesia, contributing significantly to the local economy and providing various goods and services. Notable French companies in Indonesia include: *

TotalEnergies TotalEnergies SE is a French multinational integrated energy and petroleum company founded in 1924 and is one of the seven supermajor oil companies. Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas explorati ...

: An oil and gas company. *

Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...

: A leading tire manufacturer. *

Axa Axa S.A. is a French multinational insurance corporation headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It also provides investment management and other financial services via its subsidiaries. As of 2024, it is the fourth largest financi ...

: A multinational insurance firm. *

Eurocopter Airbus Helicopters SAS (formerly Eurocopter S.A., trade name, trading as Eurocopter Group) is the helicopter manufacturer, helicopter manufacturing division of Airbus. It is the largest in the industry in terms of revenues and turbine helicopte ...

: A division of Airbus Helicopters, providing aerospace solutions. *

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

: The national airline of France. *

Carrefour Carrefour Group, S.A. (, ), is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, Essonne, Massy, France. It operates a chain of hypermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores. By 2024, the group had 14,000 ...

: A major retail corporation. These companies play a crucial role in strengthening the economic ties between the two countries by investing in various sectors and creating employment opportunities in Indonesia. Beyond economic cooperation, France and Indonesia also engage in cultural and diplomatic exchanges. These exchanges foster mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of both nations. Educational programs, cultural events, and diplomatic visits are some of the ways in which France and Indonesia continue to build a strong bilateral relationship.

Culture

The objective of French cultural cooperation action is to support Indonesia's development as a new emerging country. Accordingly, it gives priority to research (rural development, aquaculture, volcanology, geophysics, and archaeology), university exchanges, primarily in the fields of technology and biological sciences, vocational training, support for strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance. Which includes legislative technical assistance, fight against terrorism and corruption, decentralization, human rights training. The implementation of quality cultural actions, such as through the "French Springtime" (''Le Printemps Français'') cultural festival and audiovisual policy. France also has established

Institut Français The Institut Français (; French capitalization, Institut français; "French institute") is a French public industrial and commercial organization (EPIC). Started in 1907 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting French, francophone as ...

in Indonesian cities of

Bandung Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...

and

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

, a French cultural center with the mission to promote French culture in Indonesia through cultural performances and exhibitions, film and mediatheque.

Language

The culture-linguistic relations between

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

and French were conducted through Dutch, as evident in Indonesian loanwords from French that mainly political or military terms, such as ''kudeta'' (from ''coup d'état''), ''legiun'' (from ''légion'') and ''letnan'' (from ''lieutenant''). Institut Français Indonesia also offering

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

course for Indonesian students.

Archaeology

Based on the expertise of the Advisory Board on Archaeological Research Abroad, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (DGCID) subsidisies the following archaeological missions in Indonesia: * Borneo: Diachronic study of uses and Rock Art in the caves and rock shelters of East Kalimantan * Java 01: A prehistoric site from the upper Pleistocene period * Java 02: The first populations on the Indonesian archipelago * Tapanuli

Music

In art and musics, France and Indonesia has mutual cultural ambassador,

Anggun Anggun Cipta Sasmi (; (born 29 April 1974), known mononymously as Anggun, is an Indonesian-French singer, songwriter, and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she began performing at the age of seven and recorded a children's album two yea ...

-naturalised singer-songwriter, is popular in both France and Indonesia.

Current issue

Capital punishment

In 2015, a French citizen Serge Atlaoui, is facing deathrow in Indonesian prison. During the raid on a factory producing ecstasy in Tangerang, in 2005, the Indonesian police busted Atlaoui there. He was subsequently convicted in 2007 for the possession of 138 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 290 kg of ketamine and 316 drums of precursor substances. Atlaoui has repeatedly denied the charges; saying that he was installing industrial machinery in what he thought was an acrylics factory. On 22 April 2015, French President Francois Hollande warned Indonesia that the execution would damage the relations between the two nations. Atlaoui was spared from the execution on 29 April 2015, and currently, his sentence is being postponed. France is strongly opposed to the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

in any place and in any context, not only when the life of a French national is at stake. France has been abolitionist since 1981. Diplomatic relations are described as 'normal' despite the Atlaoui case. In 2025, after spending nearly 20 years behind bars, Atlaoui was repatriated to France in early February. Atlaoui also has been suffering from cancer and received weekly treatment at a hospital in Jakarta.

Defense Ties

After France and Australia heated relations with

AUKUS AUKUS ( ), also styled as Aukus, is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States intended to "promote a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable." Initially announced on 15 September ...

debacle, France moves closer with Indonesia for the security of Indo-Pacific Region and also sells 42

Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French Twinjet, twin-engine, Canard (aeronautics), canard delta wing, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft designed and ...

fighters alongside Scorpène submarines.

Resident diplomatic missions

* France has an embassy in

. * Indonesia has an embassy in

and consulates-general in

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

and

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French Sui generis collectivity, special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest Francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main i ...

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

. File:Ambassade d'Indonésie en France.jpg, Embassy of Indonesia in Paris

Notes and references

External links

Embassy of France in Indonesia

Embassy of Indonesia in France

Institut Français Indonesia

IFCCI
Indonesian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry {{DEFAULTSORT:France-Indonesia relations Bilateral relations of Indonesia