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In a move to repair bilateral ties damaged in a spying row last year, Indonesia and Australia signed an agreement on security cooperation on Thursday.

In the much-anticipated pact, which takes the form of a code of conduct (CoC), both countries agree that intelligence activities should be mutually beneficial and not harm the interests of either.

'€œThe basic message with the signing of this code of conduct is that we are back to where we have been,'€ Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told a press conference after the signing ceremony in Bali between him and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, witnessed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Your comments:

It'€™s nice to witness how civil Australia and Indonesia handled this rather embarrassing fiasco of spying. They talked through the problem even while knowing that the problem would never disappear completely. This is unlike the rather pompous attitude of the morally superior Germans after it was discovered that the US had been spying on German leaders such as Angela Merkel for years.

The German reaction was rather harsh as they expelled the CIA country director and scolded Washington for doing the '€œunthinkable'€ act of spying on its friends. During Merkel'€™s last trip to China she went out of her way to scold the Americans for this offense against Germany and she did this in plain sight of her Chinese host.

However, as the Wall Street Journal pointed out in their recent article Germany is a hypocrite as they now have been exposed as spying on their friend and ally Turkey as well as several other nations.

Texas

The two countries will continue to secretly spy on each other. They never stopped doing this actually.

Bishop '€œpraised Yudhoyono for his leadership of Indonesia'€: what leadership? This guy did not push any reform.

Jan Karl

Australia and Indonesia have two key issues in common: trade and, peace and security in the region.  These will be paramount considerations that should override differences in culture and history.  

These differences give rise to very different perceptions about dealing with boat arrivals and stances on foreign policy.  

Australia being a Christian/post-Christian nation will also have an approach to dealing with Islamic extremism that may not always find approval with Indonesian citizens.

Jagera

If Australia and Indonesia can be strong allies, it'€™s a big plus for both nations. There is a huge amount of land, mineral and human resources between the two.

Deedee S

It is admirable that Indonesia is seeking to enhance regional stability and security through improving relations, however, it is important to recognize established US/NATO/allied policy (into which Australia is integrated).

The commercial and strategic objectives of the US/NATO bloc are incompatible with nations that seek an independent policy.  Their objective is either alignment, the employment of operations to achieve this outcome (such as the installation of aligned assets) or adversarial actions.

Indonesia need only observe the behavior of the US/NATO bloc against Russia, China, Iran, Syria, etc. (involving the expansion of military forces/assets/missile architecture, destabilization/partition/regime change operations, sanctions/ economic warfare, covert/proxy war operations, etc.) to recognize what it would also face in time.

In addition to the aggressive militarism and globally expanding military operations of the US/NATO/Israel bloc, Indonesian officials need only observe Australia'€™s behavior (in conjunction with its strategic allies) toward Russia to recognize the threat it potentially constitutes to Indonesia.

Deicii Udici

For a starter add that US B-52 bombers have for years visited Australia. The very latest was from their Andersen base in Guam to participate in Australia'€™s military exercise called '€œPitch Black 2014'€. The US also had other military assets in Australia for that exercise plus other exercises.

The purpose; it helps the US in its ability to train, exercise and operate with Australia and with other allies and partners across the region, further enabling the US to work together with these nations to respond more quickly to a wide range of challenges, including humanitarian crises and disaster relief, as well as promoting security cooperation efforts across the region.

Indonesia had participated in previous Australian '€œPitch Black'€ exercises, but as SBY stopped military cooperation with Australia then Indonesia missed out on attending the 2014 exercise. Now that relationships have been restored Australia will look forward to Indonesia'€™s attendance in future military exercises in Australia.

Australia must be militarily prepared for any possible threat to Australia, even from China. Australia does not like what China is doing in the China seas and has formally mentioned that to China. Also Australia did not like China sending a naval attack group where they held naval exercises just off Australia'€™s Christmas Island, Australia also did not like that and formally told China so.

As for Russia, the Russian navy has been having joint naval exercises with the Chinese navy in the China seas. By doing so Russia was doing things in the China seas that Australia did not like, and Australia formally told Russia that.

Meanwhile, Australia must prepare a military force to counter any possible military threat to Australia regardless of who threatens Australia. This is what other nations should also be doing including Indonesia.

Eddy Saff