Defense Minister Prabowo And Malaysian Defense Minister Explore Defense Cooperation More Close

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto received a visit from Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (30/4/2024). ANTARA/HO-Biro Public Relations of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Secretariat General.

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin are exploring opportunities for closer defense cooperation between the two countries.

The discussion on defense cooperation is one of the themes discussed by Prabowo and Khaled Nordin when the two met at the Ministry of Defense office, Jakarta, Tuesday, April 30.

During the meeting, which was the first time for Khaled Nordin since he served as Minister of Defense of Malaysia, Prabowo also emphasized the special RI-Malaysia relationship considering that both of them are countries that both come from the Malay family.

"Congratulations on the appointment of His Majesty Datuk Seri Mohamed Nordin as Malaysia's new Minister of Defense. The Indonesian Ministry of Defense is ready to cooperate with the Malaysian Ministry of Defense and provide support for His Majesty Datuk Seri Mohamed Nordin," Prabowo told the Malaysian Defense Minister.

He explained that Indonesia and Malaysia have been establishing close cooperation in various fields, including defense, which includes the education of cadets and officers, intelligence, trade, defense and security industries.

However, Prabowo believes there is a lot of cooperation that can be expanded and deepened between Indonesia and Malaysia.

"Indonesia hopes to establish closer cooperation in the field of defense, intelligence, defense industry, and stronger education with Malaysia, especially in terms of exchange of military students and the defense industry," Prabowo told Khaled Nordin.

In the defense sector, one of the important cooperations between the two countries is the General Border Committee Malaysia-Indonesia (GBC Malindo) which regularly meets every year.

In the last meeting of the 43rd GBC Malindo in 2023, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to reactivate joint guard posts at 14 border points between Indonesia and Malaysia that spanned Kalimantan. Of the 14 points, seven posts are in Indonesian territory, and the other seven are in Malaysia.

Malindo's next GBC meeting, the 44th in 2024, is scheduled to take place in Malaysia.

General Border Committee Malaysia Indonesia (GBC Malindo) was formed on August 11, 1966 after the restoration of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Malaysia.

GBC Malindo is a cooperation committee that deals with its main partnership in security in border areas. Within the framework of the cooperation, the two countries agreed to meet every year, but the annual agenda was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which then resumed in 2022.