DPR Has Warned Government About Indonesia-Australia Agreement: A Consultation Agreement, Not A Military Alliance

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (right) met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Kirribilli House, Sydney, Wednesday, November 12, 2025. (BPMI Setpres)

JAKARTA - TB Hasanuddin, a member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), highlighted the recently signed agreement between Indonesia and Australia regarding cooperation between the two countries. He emphasized that the cooperation in question does not mean that Indonesia and Australia are forming an alliance.

TB Hasanuddin made this statement in response to a statement by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who stated that Indonesia and Australia had signed a bilateral agreement to strengthen consultation mechanisms between leaders and ministers on security issues.

In an official release, PM Albanese revealed that the cooperation includes the identification and implementation of mutually beneficial security activities, as well as a consultation mechanism if the security of one or both countries is threatened, including considering steps that can be taken individually and jointly.

According to TB Hasanuddin, President Prabowo Subianto has the full right to sign international cooperation agreements, as long as they are in the interests of the nation and state and remain in line with Indonesia's independent and active foreign policy.

However, the PDIP politician noted that the DPR RI has not yet received the official document of the bilateral agreement, so an in-depth analysis of its contents and impact cannot be conducted.

"There are two important points we can understand from PM Albanese's statement. First, the agreement in question uses the keyword 'consultation,' indicating that the agreement is normative diplomacy based on goodwill between countries, without creating binding dependencies, and still respecting the sovereignty of each party," TB Hasanuddin told reporters on Friday, November 14.

Second, regarding the statement that the two countries could consider joint steps to address threats, TB Hasanuddin asked the government to provide an explanation to avoid misunderstandings regarding the principle of an independent and active foreign policy that has long been the guiding principle of Indonesian diplomacy.

"This explanation is important to avoid speculation that Indonesia is building an alliance or defense pact with Australia," emphasized the PDIP legislator from the West Java electoral district.

The member of the House of Representatives' defense commission added that defense cooperation between countries is normal. However, Hasanuddin said, the agreement must be implemented with caution.

"It must be transparent and place Indonesia's national interests above all else," he concluded.

As is known, President Prabowo and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the Indonesia-Australia Bilateral Security Agreement in Sydney, Australia. The agreement was made during Prabowo's one-day bilateral visit to Australia.

In his statement, Albanese emphasized that this cooperation is not merely a diplomatic gesture, but a concrete manifestation of trust and shared responsibility as neighboring countries in a dynamic region.