Australian Deputy PM Prabowo Agrees To Sign Defense Cooperation

Deputy Prime Minister of Australia concurrently Minister of Defense Richard Marles and Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi.

JAKARTA - Australian Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Minister of Defense Richard Marles met Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta. Both agreed to immediately sign a new defense cooperation agreement in the next 2'3 months.

In less than a year, Marles twice went to the Ministry of Defense office in Jakarta to meet Defense Minister Prabowo.

"We plan to sign a defense cooperation agreement with Australia soon. We hope it can be completed and signed in 2 3 months," said Defense Minister Prabowo during a press conference reported by ANTARA, Friday, February 23.

Dalam pertemuan yang berlangsung selama kurang lebih 2 jam, Marles menyampaikan pembahasan mengenai peningkatan perjanjian kerja sama pertahanan yang baru itu semakin mendekat tahap akhir. Kami dalam posisi yang juga berharap perjanjian itu segera ditandatangani beberapa bulan ke depan, kata Marles.

The Australian Deputy PM said the cooperation agreement was a manifestation of the most significant defense partnership in the history of relations between Indonesia and Australia.

"It will also be the most important moment in this bilateral relationship," said Marles.

Negotiations discussed a more complete defense cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Australia starting at least from February 2023, including the 2+2 meeting of foreign ministers and the Indonesian-Australian defense minister in Canberra in February 2023.

The discussion then continued, especially when Prabowo and Marles met at the Ministry of Defense office, Jakarta, on June 5, 2023. After the meeting, Marles said the new Indonesia-Australia defense cooperation agreement would be more comprehensive and ambitious.

So far, defense cooperation between Indonesia and Australia is mostly concentrated on the exchange of officers and cadets, education, joint training, and grants of several defense equipment, including the Bushmaster tactical vehicle for the TNI Peace Maintenance Mission Center (PMPP) whose reception was approved by the DPR RI on April 3, 2023.

In his latest meeting with Prabowo, Marles also congratulated the Minister of Defense on his superior vote acquisition in the presidential-vice presidential election in the 2024 General Election. Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka ran for president-vice president for the 2024 '2029 period in the 2024 General Election.

(The results of the presidential election in Indonesia, ed.) are very concerned in Australia. And, I am happy to be able to congratulate you in person. Thank you for accepting us and I look forward to the opportunity for us to meet again," said Marles to Prabowo.