Macron decorates Prabowo, affirms culture links
Cultural pride: Prabowo (right) and Macron posing for photos as they visit Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java. — AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron bestowed counterpart Prabowo Subianto with France's top award during a visit to a military base yesterday.
Macron's visit is the second stop of a three-nation, six-day tour of South-East Asia.
After meeting for talks in the capital Jakarta, Macron and Prabowo flew by helicopter yesterday from Yogyakarta to a military academy in Magelang, a city in Central Java.
The pair attended a military parade and Macron gave Prabowo the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France's highest military or civil award.
Macron rode in a jeep driven by Prabowo with the pair welcomed by a marching band and hundreds of students waving Indonesian flags.
Macron later visited Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple, and gave a speech on cultural ties with Prabowo before departing for Singapore.
He will deliver the opening address today at the Shangri-la Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum.
Indonesia and France also signed a series of agreements on cooperation in a range of fields including defence, trade, agriculture, disaster management, culture and transport. — AFP
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