New Delhi. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in New Delhi on Saturday to express his government's appreciation for France's investment commitments in Indonesia's new national capital, Nusantara.

In June, a delegation of executives from approximately 20 French companies, led by French Ambassador to Indonesia Fabien Penone, visited the construction site of Nusantara in East Kalimantan. Their visit aimed to gain a firsthand understanding of the ongoing megaproject aimed at relocating the capital from Jakarta.

In a post on Sunday on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Jokowi revealed that this visit resulted in the signing of four Letters of Intents for investments in Nusantara.

“I appreciate French investments in strategic sectors in Indonesia and delivered this message in person during the bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in New Delhi yesterday,” Jokowi wrote.

He further acknowledged the role of the French Ambassador to Indonesia, noting: "I also extend my appreciation to the French ambassador for facilitating the visit of potential investors to Nusantara, which has resulted in four Letters of Intents to support the development of the new capital. We hope that these commitments will soon materialize."

According to the French Embassy in Jakarta, French companies have generated 54,000 jobs in Indonesia and contributed $506 million in direct investment in 2021.

In the period between January and September 2022, France ranks second among European Union countries in terms of the number of investment projects in Indonesia, with a total of 1,336 projects.