FRANCE, MALAYSIA EYE DEEPER COOPERATION IN STRATEGIC SECTORS

By Christine Lim

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- France and Malaysia can deepen cooperation in strategic sectors, including security and defence, as the two countries strengthen their partnership within the Indo-Pacific framework, French Ambassador to Malaysia Marc Abensour said.

He said both countries already share a longstanding partnership in defence and security, as well as cooperation in aeronautics and space, which could be further strengthened in the coming years.

Abensour said this aligns with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to France in July 2025, when he met President Emmanuel Macron to deepen engagement between the two nations.

“Our defence partnership is clearly one of the key pillars of the two countries' cooperation.

“In terms of military cooperation, we are making substantial progress, and our navies and air forces are increasingly engaged in joint exercises to enhance interoperability,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of Bernama TV’s The Nation: Diplomatic Dispatch programme titled “Malaysia and France Relations: The Next Chapter of Cooperation” on Friday.

Abensour said Malaysia is also an important partner for France under its Indo-Pacific strategy and is playing an increasingly significant role in strengthening engagement between France and ASEAN.

He said France is recognised as a credible security partner in the ASEAN region, partly due to its observer status in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), the main platform for defence cooperation between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

He noted that France also participates in two ADMM-Plus working groups, focusing on maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

Beyond security cooperation, Abensour said cultural and academic exchanges also form an important component of the France–Malaysia partnership.

He said many Malaysian students are learning French, which could help strengthen professional skills and career opportunities.

“And so, it’s something that can be mobilised not for the sake of learning French but as an asset to develop skills that will lead to professional career,” he said.

On tourism, Abensour also noted that the number of French tourists visiting Malaysia has been increasing, attributing the trend to the effectiveness of the “Malaysia Truly Asia” tourism campaign.

He added that France and Malaysia could further strengthen cultural exchanges through collaboration between renowned museum institutions in both nations.

“There are two superb museums here, namely the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur and the one I have just visited in Kuching, Sarawak. So I think that in the future, we will make our utmost effort to connect these two superb museums with their counterparts in France,” he said.

-- BERNAMA