TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - French President Emmanuel Macron conveyed the Indonesian proverb "little by little, it will become a hill" in front of President Prabowo Subianto at a dinner at the Presidential Palace, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, May 28, 2025 evening. According to Macron, the friendship between the French and Indonesian governments will continue to strengthen little by little.
The proverb was greeted by Prabowo with a smile and applause.
"Little by little, it will become a hill, as the Indonesian proverb says, 'little by little, As time goes by, it will become a hill. And little by little from year to year our friendship has grown higher and higher,'" he said at the Presidential Palace, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Macron said that the closeness between France and Indonesia was not a coincidence. The closeness was forged because of the winds of history.
He then gave examples of a number of French artists and researchers who admired Indonesian civilization. One of them was the admiration of the French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, who dreamed of walking in the city of Semarang to Salatiga.
"There was also the composer Claude Debussy, who was fascinated by Javanese gamelan at the Universal Exhibition in 1889, and was inspired by it to breathe the sound of your archipelago's poetry into Western music," he said.
According to Macron, these cultural intermediaries laid the foundations for relations between France and Indonesia. Macron hopes that the two countries can continue to partner in the fields of culture, security, and defense in the future.
On the same occasion, Prabowo said that the governments of Indonesia and France had held intensive and productive discussions today. The two heads of state are committed to continuing to work together.
According to Prabowo, the visit of Macron and his wife has a special meaning for Prabowo. "Because I personally and my family feel that we have a special relationship with France," he said in his speech.
Prabowo also expressed his gratitude for the invitation from France to attend the Bastille Day parade on July 14, 2025. The Indonesian government, said Prabowo, will send a contingent of soldiers to take part in the parade in Paris.
"We feel honored and we are ready to send our contingent of soldiers to take part in the parade in Paris," he said.
After that, the Head of State of the Republic of Indonesia invited the gala dinner participants to raise their glasses for the health of Macron and his wife. He then shouted the glory of Indonesia and France.
"Viva la France, Viva la Indonesia (Long Live France, Long Live Indonesia)," said Prabowo.
Then, the chef brought food to the guests. The activity was then continued with a plate dance performance. After that, the gala dinner was held behind closed doors.
President Prabowo received French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
In the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he would push for the independence of the Palestinian state in a two-state solution summit in New York, United States, in June 2025.
In the summit, Macron said that France and Saudi Arabia would provide new impetus for the recognition of the Palestinian state, including recognition of Israel to live safely and peacefully in the Middle East region.
Meanwhile, President Prabowo Subianto stated that he would recognize Israel if they recognized Palestine as a sovereign state. Prabowo also said the Indonesian government is ready to guarantee Israel's security after recognizing Palestine as an independent country.
Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to this article.
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