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View all search resultsJuly 14 spirit enlivens relations between France and Indonesia
In the Indo-Pacific region, France and Indonesia promote the same vision of an inclusive and open space.
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T
his year, for the first time since the end of World War II, the avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris will not host a military parade on the occasion of July 14. Given the exceptional situation, President Emmanuel Macron wanted instead to pay tribute to those who are engaged in the fight against COVID-19 around the world. By this choice, France wants to show its solidarity with European and international partners affected by the health crisis.
Indonesia is a major partner for France in Southeast Asia. Our countries are united by bonds of friendship and since 2011, by a strategic partnership based on common values such as democracy, human rights, tolerance and pluralism within society, and the conception of a secure, law-based international order that we are engaging to strengthen today.
Facing the growing challenges of globalization, peace and security, be it climate change, the fight against terrorism, radicalism and extremism, disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or health, our two countries recognize the leading role played by the United Nations and other multilateral international organizations.
In the Indo-Pacific region, France and Indonesia promote the same vision of an inclusive and open space, in which France intends to contribute to regional stability and growth by strengthening its partnerships in three sectors: maritime cooperation, connectivity and sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goals), fully in line with the priorities of Indonesia and ASEAN, a central player in regional architecture.
Unpredictable, deadly and long-lasting, the COVID-19 crisis makes us realize that to face a pandemic, only a collective response is effective. There is a need to strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation, France and Indonesia are fully committing in order to better prevent and overcome future crises.
It is an ambitious and demanding project that must be driven by common values. In this regard, the spirit of July 14, which we celebrate in France, can be instilled in this momentum. In 1789, our ancestors were convinced that freedom, equality and fraternity should guide all of humanity and that these ideals would achieve full meaning if they were applied to all, beyond borders. Republican universalism was on the move and history has shown that these values unite us, especially during harsh times.
As President Macron pointed out, the current situation leads us to reinvent ourselves, to be bold and creative, without which decline is looming. This is why France is undertaking reconstruction, be it economic, ecological or social. It is supported by the European Union, which has also taken unprecedented measures with a plan of 540 billion euro (US$609.92 billion).
