The TNI-Polri Contingent Appears At Bastill Day, Prabowo: A Symbol Of The Close Cooperation Of The Republic Of Indonesia

The contingent of the Patriot II TNI-Polri Task Force from Indonesia has a place of honor as the opening force for the Bastille Day military parade in Champs-Obviouslys, Paris, France, (doc Setneg)

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his pride in watching the TNI contingent parade with French armed forces soldiers on the commemoration of Bastille Day along the Champs-Obviouslys road, Paris, France, Monday, July 14.

For President Prabowo, his presence as an honorary guest and participation in the Patriot II TNI-Polri Task Force (Satgas) contingent at the French national day military parade reflected the close defense cooperation between Indonesia and France.

"It is an honor for me to attend the celebration of Bastille Day, the French national day, as an honorary guest at the direct invitation of the President of the French Republic, His Excellency Emmanuel Macron. I feel proud that the Indonesian National Army contingent took part in the military parade which took place along the Champs-Ownedys road, featuring the band's drum carnival at the opening of the event," President Prabowo said as quoted from his personal X social media account @prabowo quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, July 15.

President Prabowo continued that Indonesia's participation in the Bastille Day military parade was an important marker of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and France, as well as reflecting the strong position of Indonesia as a strategic partner of France in the Indo-Pacific region.

"This invitation also reflects the close defense cooperation between Indonesia and France in various fields, ranging from modernizing defense equipment, joint military training across dimensions, to exchanging knowledge and technology," said President Prabowo.

In a different upload on his personal Instagram account @prabowo, President Prabowo also thanked French President Emmanuel Macron, who accompanied several photos of the two after watching the Bastille Day military parade.

"Merci, say le PREsident, pour lhonneur de votre invitation et pour le tremoignage damitié qui unit nos deux accounts (Thank you Mr. President, for this honorable invitation, and for the expression of friendship that unites the two countries)," said President Prabowo's personal social media account upload.

On the same account, President Prabowo also uploaded several photos of Bastille Day, accompanied by a French-language photo caption: "Joyeuse föte nationale pour toute la France! (Happy National Day to all French people!)".

Presiden Prabowo menyaksikan langsung parade militer Hari Bastille sebagai tamu kehormatan atas undangan Presiden Macron, Senin pagi waktu setempat.

In the series of parades (defel) of Bastille Day, President Prabowo, President Macron, invited guests, and all French citizens in Paris witnessed the contingent action from Indonesia, consisting of 451 joint personnel of the TNI and Polri, as well as cadets from the TNI and Polri academies.

The Patriot II Task Force (Satgas) contingent from Indonesia has the honor of parading at the forefront as an opening defile.

When the ranks of the Indonesian contingent passed along the Champs-Obviouslys and passed President Prabowo and President Macron, the national anthem "Maju Tak Gentar" was reverberated from the drum drum drum of the cadet band.

Several live broadcasts featuring the Bastille Day parade in Paris, President Prabowo were seen standing and saluting while watching the Patriot II Task Force contingent parade, while President Macron applauded watching the contingent's defile from Indonesia.

Bastille Day is the commemoration of the Bastille Invasion on July 14, 1789. This year's parade also commemorates the 100th anniversary of La Flamme's eternal fire and the Bleuet de France symbol as a tribute to the heroes and victims of war.

Since it was first officially held in 1880, Bastille Day has not only been a celebration of the French Revolution and a symbol of the spirit of freedom, but has also become an international diplomacy event.

The tradition of inviting world leaders as guests of honor at the Bastille Day parade began symbolically at the end of the 20th century. Guests of honor had a place on the main podium with the French president and an important figure in the host country, and could include military participation from guest countries.

Presiden Prabowo mengikuti jejak para pemimpin dunia yang pernah menjadi tamu kehormatan di Bastille Day, termasuk di antaranya Presiden ke-1 Afrika Selatan Nelson Mandela (1996), Presiden Brasil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2005), dan Presiden Amerika Serikat Donald Trump (2017). Selain itu, ada juga Perdana Menteri ke-3 Singapura Lee Hsien Loong (2018), dan Perdana Menteri India Narendra Modi (2023).

The invitation to President Prabowo as an honorary guest of Bastille Day became the culmination of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Indonesia, as well as providing new colors and hopes for strategic cooperation between the two countries in the future.