Indonesia-Zimbabwe To Sign Defense Cooperation

Indonesian Ambassador Juniarta Sastrawan held a meeting with officers from the Zimbabwe National Army and Zimbabwe Republic Police in September 2020. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Zimbabwe has approved the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Government of Indonesia, which was proposed by the Indonesian Ministry of Defense to enhance and expand bilateral cooperation in this field.

"The Indonesian government proposing this LoI is to be able to further institutionalize and enhance and expand bilateral cooperation in the defense sector between Indonesia and Zimbabwe, which has been going well," said the Indonesian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Juniarta Sastrawan, in a written statement from the Embassy. RI in Harare received in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Wednesday, December 30.

According to Sastrawan, the Zimbabwean Government has expressed its full support for the bilateral defense cooperation agreement which is focused on these three activities, including mutual visits between high-level and operational officials, cooperation in the promotion of education and training, and promotion of the defense industry between the two countries.

He also said that currently the two countries were discussing the timing of the signing of the LoI, which is expected to be carried out in the near future, so that in the first half of 2021 negotiations on a bilateral defense cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Zimbabwe can begin to be scheduled.

"This collaborative education and training activity in the defense sector has a very strategic value for the two countries, and is urgently needed by the Government of Zimbabwe."

He also highlighted the importance of cooperative activities that would promote defense industry cooperation, which in the long run would also be beneficial for the expansion and enhancement of economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

By taking advantage of the implementation of the African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCTA), through a defense industry cooperation that will be agreed upon, the two countries have the opportunity to jointly produce PT PINDAD products and other strategic Indonesian industrial products in Zimbabwe to meet Zimbabwe's needs and also for export. to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, he explained.

In addition, the development of social infrastructure after the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe will also be able to provide opportunities for Indonesia to work together to build army hospital facilities in Zimbabwe which will later be utilized by the general public in Zimbabwe.

It should be noted that previously the Defense University (UNHAN), the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, has started providing postgraduate scholarships for officers from Zimbabwe, which received great appreciation from the local government.

In 2020, for the second time UNHAN has provided postgraduate scholarships for four officers from the Zimbabwe National Army and Zimbabwe Republic Police, for the 2020/2022 school year.

"With the establishment of the defense cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Zimbabwe, the cooperation in defense training and education will continue to be expanded," said Sastrawan.