ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto and Minister of Defense of the United States (US), Lloyd J Austin signed a historic defense cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Informal Meeting, Jakarta. This signing marks a new chapter in the partnership between Indonesia and the United States.
“The deepening defense relationship between the United States and Indonesia is a core part of our newly enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” wrote Austin on his official Twitter (X) account, Friday, November 17, 2023.
This Cooperation Agreement aims to upgrade bilateral relations recently into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership carried out by President Biden and Joko Widodo. Additionally, the collaboration addresses ways to expand training opportunities, increase educational exchanges, and increase maritime domain awareness.
Apart from meeting the United States Defense Minister, Prabowo also met Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and ASEAN Defense Ministers to discuss the issue of the humanitarian and security crisis.
Prabowo, who spoke in front of Lloyd Austin and other Defense Ministers, emphasized that currently the various security challenges in the Indo Pacific region are quite diverse and complex. These challenges include cyber threats and those related to humanity.
“Starting from traditional threats to non-traditional threats that are currently developing, such as cyber threats, transnational crime and humanitarian crises,” said Prabowo in his official statement, quoted Friday, 17 November 2023
Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto and Minister of Defense of the United States, Lloyd J Austin discussing the world geopolitical situation and the stability of the Indo Pacific region on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Informal Meeting, Jakarta, Thursday, 16 November 2023. Photo: Ministry of Defense
Prabowo said that this meeting was an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between ASEAN and the United States to understand security in the ASEAN region in facing existing geopolitical challenges.
The Indonesian presidential candidate in the 2024 elections said that the United States’ involvement in ASEAN could encourage prosperity and peace in the Indo Pacific region.
“As the coordinating country for ASEAN-United States relations, Indonesia recognizes and praises the United States’ involvement in the region in promoting regional peace and stability, as well as prosperity in the Indo Pacific region,” he added. (AT Network)
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