France and Indonesia vow to boost safety in Indo-Pacific as tensions between EU and Beijing persist

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — France and Indonesia 's top diplomats on Wednesday signed an agreement for a maritime security project aiming "to ensure peace and safety" at sea in the Indo-Pacific region. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noà«l Barrot's visit to Jakarta, his second stop in his four-day Asia tour after Singapore, comes amid ongoing trade tensions between the European Union and Beijing. He told reporters on Wednesday that the Indo-Pacific Port Security Project "is close to my heart," promising France's support. Neither he nor his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono shared details of what the project will entail. Earlier this month, during a…