Message from Ambassador of France, Thierry de Beauce
On the occasion of the French National Day, I am very happy to greet Indonesia and the Indonesian people on behalf of France and the French people.
On July 14, France and the French people celebrate the French Revolution, which symbolizes the universal affirmation of the basic human freedoms, the values of progress, democracy and the sovereignty of the people. France keeps on promoting these principles and continues to cherish them at home and abroad. July 14 is a special occasion for remembering the message of the Revolution which has become, today, a universal heritage.
I am particularly happy to greet the Indonesian people for the second time on such an occasion, as my first year in Indonesia was marked by very important events for both our countries. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Herve de Charette, was here in February for his first visit in Asia.
Our President, Jacques Chirac, held bilateral talks with Soeharto, President of Indonesia, apart from the Asia-Europe Summit in Bangkok last March. In order to prepare the annual G7 summit (Lyon, June 22 to June 27), a special envoy of President Chirac, Bruno Durieux, was here recently. His meetings with President Soeharto, Ali Alatas and Mar'ie Muhammad, were aimed to present the G7 agenda and collect Indonesian views on special issues, such as development and debt problems, that are of great concern to the Indonesian authorities.
Those views were brought forward to the G7 partners and duly taken into account in the elaboration of the decisions related to the debt treatment and Development Aid. In a few days, our Minister of Finance, Jean Arthuis, will be here to discuss bilateral and multilateral issues with the Indonesian government.
Such visits are important to strengthen confident and harmonious relations between our countries, which share common views on major international topics, as shown by our common efforts to bring peace to Cambodia or Bosnia. France, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, cares for and is involved in the regional stability in Asia and is determined to enhance it further with Indonesia. Therefore, France follows with keen interest the enlargement of ASEAN and the strengthening of ARF.
All this testifies that relations between France and Indonesia, that started in 1950 with the establishment of diplomatic ties between both countries (France being among the first countries to recognize the then-young Republic), have grown steadily over the years, making Indonesia one of France's main partners in the region.
As a matter of fact, France and Indonesia have developed a successful cooperation in various fields. France's strong interest in the economic cooperation is evidenced by its commercial exchanges with Indonesia, which are practically balanced, with a cumulated amount of some US$1,550 million in 1995 (8,600 million French francs). French investments in Indonesia also keep on growing (more than 200 percent in 1994, after the important deregulation package in mid-1994, and more than 45 percent in 1995).
Since 1967, total French investments approved by the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), including those involving partners from third countries, have reached some $1,647 million. Over the same period, investments in the oil and gas and banking sector amounted to some $1,200 million. I am confident that these figures will go up further, owing to the Indonesian government's commitment to pursue deregulation measures, attracting further interest from potential investors.
Bilateral cooperation in science and technology is equally strong. To date, more than 3,000 Indonesian students have successfully completed their studies in various French universities under a joint scholarship program. Even though the improvement of Indonesian economic conditions may bring a decrease in the number of scholarships granted by France, many Indonesian students still express a keen interest for French universities.
For many, studying in France represents a guarantee of high quality studies for a much lower price than many private universities abroad, as universities in France, being public, have very limited admission fees. We are proud and happy with this cooperation that contributes greatly to the strengthening of the links between our two countries and our two peoples.
Furthermore, our cooperation for the development of human resources is also taking place here, in cooperation with Indonesian universities. For example, we successfully launched a master of management program in partnership with University of Indonesia, in Jakarta, and we want to implement a training project in civil engineering in Bandung.
In conclusion, the remarkable achievements reached by our two countries through this mutually-beneficial cooperation have given rise to a feeling of pride and gratefulness. It should not, though, lead us to complacency. On the contrary, it should be an incentive to boost our cooperation further, in order to strengthen the friendly links between our countries and our peoples.
Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to the editors of The Jakarta Post for the opportunity given to me to contribute personally to the enhancement of our cooperation and friendship.
"Semoga kerjasama kita kian meningkat."