Indonesia and Australia finalise new bilateral defence treaty
Indonesia and Australia on Tuesday finalised a new bilateral defence treaty that will enhance the neighbouring nations' ability to operate their militaries in each other's territory. The agreement was reached as Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto, who also serves as defense minister, met with Australian officials at the country's Parliament earlier Tuesday.
The bilateral relationship is becoming increasingly important to Australians in face of growing tensions with China. New Australian prime ministers typically make Jakarta one of their first overseas destinations.
The pact will be signed within days, when Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles visits Jakarta.
Marles said the successful conclusion of negotiations after two years was significant for both countries' national security.
«What this agreement will do is provide for much greater interoperability between our defense forces, it will provide for much more exercises between our defense forces, it will see us working together the global commons to support the rules-based order and, importantly, it will allow us to operate from each other's countries,» Marles told reporters.
«And in that sense, this agreement will be the deepest, the most significant agreement that our two countries have ever made,» Marles added.
Subianto described the agreement as «ironing out some legalistic details» and said that it achieved «great progress» in the two countries' defence cooperation.
Euan Graham, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
