Indonesia and Australia officially signed a defense pact that marks a substantial enhancement to their military partnership. Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s president-elect and defense minister, along with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement at Indonesia’s National Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java province. This agreement, not yet made public, is deemed as a crucial element in international relations, although it does not establish a military alliance between the two nations. Plans are in place for the largest joint military exercise ever between Indonesia and Australia to take place in November, representing Australia’s most significant overseas exercise of the year.
The relationship between Indonesia and Australia is gaining more importance for Australia due to escalating tensions with China in the region. It is customary for new Australian prime ministers to visit Jakarta early in their term. Subianto has committed to upholding Indonesia’s traditional non-alignment stance during his tenure. Emphasizing the importance of collaboration, Subianto stated that the agreement aims to increase cooperation between neighboring countries to address security threats and promote lasting peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region.
Australia’s defense ministry highlighted that the agreement will lead to “enhanced practical cooperation and interoperability between our defence forces in areas such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian and disaster relief, logistics support, education and training, as well as across defence industry.” Marles also stressed the significance of the defense pact, labeling it as the most profound agreement in the history of the bilateral relationship. Indonesia’s Defense Ministry expressed confidence that this agreement will bolster the capacity to prevent security threats in the Asia-Pacific region through joint efforts to safeguard peace and stability.
