Canberra: Indonesia and Australia are planning to expand their defence and security cooperation to include Japan and Papua New Guinea (PNG), Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said after talks with his Australian counterpart.
Following a meeting with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Sjafrie said the two countries were looking to establish trilateral security arrangements involving Indonesia, Australia and Japan, as well as Indonesia, Australia and PNG, according to reports.
The discussions also covered deeper cooperation in intelligence sharing between the two nations, although further details were not disclosed. Marles later said in a social media post that the meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen the defence partnership between the two countries as they work together to support stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The planned expansion of security cooperation comes after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a landmark security agreement last month. Under the ‘Treaty on Common Security’, Indonesia and Australia committed to developing joint military training facilities in Indonesia and increasing cooperation and information sharing. The treaty also includes consultations at leadership and ministerial levels on shared security concerns.
Australia has also been strengthening its defence partnerships in the region. In October last year, Canberra signed a mutual defence pact with Papua New Guinea, and in 2022 it reached a security agreement with Japan to enhance cooperation and operational engagement between the two countries’ forces.
During the meeting, the ministers also discussed plans to develop a defence training facility on Morotai Island in Indonesia’s North Maluku province. The island previously served as a military base during World War II.
According to Indonesian reports, Sjafrie said the site still contains several defence structures that could be upgraded for joint use by Indonesia and Australia. Sjafrie added that military personnel from countries including the Philippines, Australia and Singapore could be granted access to the facility. Another defence training site is also being developed in Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province in cooperation with Singapore.
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