Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, and the Minister for Francophonie and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed Solihi—representing the French Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries—signed a Declaration of Intent for cooperation in Sustainable Forest Management on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
This declaration signifies both countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation in the fields of forestry, sustainable environmental management, and climate change.
The signing took place at the Merdeka Palace and was witnessed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, during the French President’s state visit to Indonesia.
According to an official release from the Ministry of Forestry, this signing is a follow-up to a joint declaration by the two heads of state, which adopted the development of a bilateral strategic partnership through 2050.
This document marks a concrete step toward promoting forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable natural resource management, in an effort to halt deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.
The declaration outlines intentions for cooperation in areas including sustainable forest management, forest rehabilitation, biodiversity and natural resource protection and conservation—including the development of national parks and sister parks—social forestry development, and the promotion of legal timber product trade.
Forms of cooperation will include information exchange, joint project implementation, collaboration between business entities and institutions, and continuous dialogue.
This declaration marks a fresh start in redeveloping forestry cooperation between Indonesia and France, which had previously stalled.
The implementation of this declaration will be detailed in the formulation of a cooperation agreement that includes specific activities and mechanisms for execution.
The development of forestry cooperation will involve stakeholders from government, academia, the private sector, and civil society.
This signing represents a significant milestone in strengthening green diplomacy and positioning the forestry sector as a key pillar in achieving global environmental targets and improving the welfare of local communities. *
