ANTANANARIVO President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a two-day visit in Madagascar on Wednesday aiming to strengthen bilateral ties and consolidate France 's presence in the Indian Ocean, despite ongoing colonial-era disputes. It is the first official trip by a French president to the former French colony off Mozambique since Jacques Chirac visited in 2005. Macron and his wife Brigitte were greeted at the main international airport by flag-waving children before heading into the capital