There is a message about the resilience of a nation, which should not be forgotten, especially now that Indonesia is entering a global era where many countries have very sophisticated weapons.

In his speech at the inauguration of the National Defense Institute (Lemhannas) of Indonesia in 1965, Bung Karno emphasized that national defense could only be carried out perfectly if a nation bases its national defense on geopolitical knowledge.

Geopolitics, thus, became a lucky word, and Bung Karno gave this message for Indonesia to build a strong and independent national force. It seems that this great leader has given guidance: that there is a close relationship between geopolitics and weapons.

That message has been around for more than half a century, but it’s still magically relevant today. Where the message is increasingly realized and real in the present context. At that time, Friday, July 21 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi and the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto paid a courtesy visit to France to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Of course the presence of the Indonesian delegation was with the authorization of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Joko Widodo to meet French President Emanuel Macron. At that time they discussed about the cooperation in the field of defense and security between the two countries for technology transfer, development and joint production in order to build Indonesia’s strategic autonomy.

In this partnership between Indonesia and France, Indonesia, through a statement by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, emphasized that Indonesia must contribute positively to creating a sturdy, safe and peaceful world.

Of course, this is a sign of a strong message: Indonesia has the power to maintain world order and its lasting peace. This capability, in the concept of geopolitics and geostrategy, is a very important aspect in Indonesia’s role at the global level.

In the presence of a mighty country like France, the statement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, was not at all a cocky expression. Instead, it was a message from the geopolitical awareness of a nation that is aware of its strategic position.

Indonesia’s position is strategically located between two continents and two oceans, so it can be useful in international relations.

By understanding geopolitics, and by applying the Indonesian geopolitical stance “Wawasan Nusantara”, the Indonesian nation can face challenges and utilize its strategic potential effectively in national and international scenarios.

This is a very important aspect, which also geopolitically and geostrategically provides the basis for Indonesia to commit to playing an active role in finding peaceful and diplomatic solutions, in overcoming regional and global conflicts and crises.

At the same time, it is also what underlies Indonesia as a country with such a wide geography, with a large population, and its success in maintaining domestic stability and peace – of course this is an added value in an important contribution to maintaining world peace as a whole.

By committing to play an active role in the international world, this is: Indonesia strives to continue to be a positive force that helps maintain world stability and order.

This commitment is also accompanied by the capability of Indonesia’s main weapons system (defense equipment) which is a combination of various factors. This is where Indonesia already has advanced and modern defense equipment, and has succeeded in developing domestic defense systems such as tanks and air defense systems.

That is also why increasing the capability of defense equipment is a priority for Indonesia – apart from maintaining its sovereignty, facing security challenges, as well as to play a more active role in global peace.

So naturally at the meeting in France, Foreign Minister Retno emphasized the importance of their cooperation which was not limited to buying and selling defense equipment activities, but also involving technology transfer, development and joint production.

This shows that Indonesia also has the potential to have independence in the strategic sector, and is not completely dependent on imported weapons.

(Prof. DR. Drs. Ermaya ­Suradinata, SH, MH, MSI, adalah mantan Dirjen ­Sospol Depdagri RI, Rektor IPDN, Gubernur ­Lemhannas RI, dan saat ini Dewan ­Pakar Bidang Geopolitik dan ­Geostrategi BPIP RI.)