Defense Minister Prabowo: Vital Defense Industry For Indonesia

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto/ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya.

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto called the defense industry a vital thing for national independence and sovereignty. Because Indonesia is a large and resource-rich country.

"The defense industry is a vital part, a decisive part of our independence, our sovereignty," Prabowo said while giving a speech at The 1st DEFEND ID's Day at the PT Dirgantara Indonesia Hangar, Bandung, West Java, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, June 15.

Prabowo explained, Indonesia has the same area as all of Western Europe. In addition, Indonesia is also the country with the fourth largest population in the world, as well as the country with the 16th largest economy in the world.

"And we have such extraordinary rich natural resources. So many experts, international institutions say with projection now, with the current parameters, we will be, in the near future, most likely the 8th, 7th economies, and some even say the 5th or 4th largest in the world," he said.

However, Prabowo continued, Indonesia should not be complacent with these indicators. According to him, the Indonesian nation must be able to utilize, manage, and maintain its wealth.

"So, those three things will determine whether we are able to continue to rise to become a prosperous country or not. That's what we want: we want to be a developed country; we want to be a prosperous country," said Prabowo.

Prabowo said that with this wealth, Indonesia must not be careless about the potential harm it causes. Therefore, he said, the defense industry is a vital point for Indonesia.

"A country as rich as ours, a country as big as ours, will always be disturbed, always have its wealth trying to be taken, this is natural law. We have various wealths, various strategies, actions, techniques, how to steal Indonesia's wealth, therefore Indonesia must be strong, our defense must be strong," added the Minister of Defense.

He said Indonesia's defense force was absolute. The reason is, he assesses that the competition between nations today is getting tougher.

"Indonesia must be vigilant and Indonesia must be strong, this is a law of history, what is not strong will be trampled on and colonized again. The colonialism today is not like it used to be, now it is not visible, but their various kinds to control it," said Prabowo.