President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, invited French President Emmanuel Macron to observe a French language class at the Indonesian Military Academy (Akmil) in Magelang on Thursday (May 29), as part of Macron’s official visit to Central Java.
Upon entering the classroom, the two presidents were warmly welcomed by the students and Colonel Andy, Head of the Cadet Coordination Office at Akmil. The atmosphere lightened immediately with a cheerful greeting exchange.
“Bonjour!” Macron exclaimed with a smile.
“Bonjour!” the students replied in unison, brimming with enthusiasm.
Colonel Andy then briefed the leaders on the language program, explaining that approximately 400 students are currently involved in French language instruction. “We have 40 students from the Military Academy, 30 from the Army, 30 from the Air Force, and 4 from other units,” he said.
To showcase their learning, Colonel Andy invited one of the students to the front of the class to speak in French. The cadet confidently shared a short story:
“Good morning, Mr. President. Good morning everyone. Before I tell you my story, last Friday afternoon I returned to Jakarta. Then in the evening, my family and I went to the cinema. The next morning, we went to Parangtritis town square. We booked a room in a small hotel. It was a very simple hotel. There was a small swimming pool under the sea. It was very beautiful. On Sunday afternoon, we returned home and we were happy. That was my weekend activity.”
The moment highlighted not only the strengthening of defense ties between Indonesia and France but also the growing cultural and educational exchanges between the two nations.
