N

eighborliness is a part of Indonesian culture. Relations between those who live near one another are nurtured so that neighbors are ready and willing to offer help to each other and solve problems, without actually interfering in each others'€™ home lives.

August is an ideal time for the creation of a more harmonious relationship between Indonesia and Singapore. This year the two countries will celebrate a particularly special independence day. Indonesia will celebrate its 70th while
Singapore its '€œgolden year'€ of 50.

Building an independent state in the era of globalization and democracy requires high levels of integrity and capability, especially in building relations between two such emerging countries.

Indonesia and Singapore have built a relationship based on mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual respect. There are few serious obstacles that create problems between the two countries.

In the coming years, Indonesia and Singapore need to maintain neighborly relations rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Relations between these two states need to be built on the spirit of neighborly and mutually beneficial partnerships.

The field of defense is no exception. As independent states, both countries are responsible for maintaining their sovereignty. But fortunately, ideologies of war in both countries are far from being offensive. Defensive approaches to protecting state sovereignty are typically illustrated through efforts to maintain territorial integrity and state integrity in general.

The basic principle of such efforts is understood by both countries to be an attempt to make Indonesia and Singapore stronger states. Cooperation between these two states should raise the dignity of the citizens of both countries.

Thoughts of defense cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore have always existed in the minds of the leaders of both states. It has even existed in the minds of the people in both countries.

Why? Because the geography and demography of the two countries are exceptionally similar. Populations in both countries feel the need to maintain mutual comfort and security with the neighboring countries. Other factors may also contribute to this mutual desire for cooperation, particularly the economic ties between Indonesia and Singapore.

In 2007, the two countries established a defense cooperation agreement, the discussion and implementation of which I participated in.

As the then deputy defense minister I was able to capture the spirit of then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in formulating the defense cooperation agreement during their retreat at the Bogor Palace on March 13, 2012. I followed up the agreement by visiting Singapore to meet my colleagues at the defense ministry and discuss a new era of defense cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore.

It is now important for Indonesia and Singapore to formulate new thoughts on the defense cooperation in order to address the major challenges of the future. The next defense cooperation needs to be more universal.

A more universal defense cooperation agreement would include two things: human beings as actors and military equipment as a supporting factor. From the human side, Indonesia and Singapore should continue to improve the capacity and professionalism of the soldiers as the executors of the defense system.

Joint exercises between the two armed forces will not only enhance the professionalism, but also create closer relationships between soldiers that eventually will foster a sense of community.

The second thing that can be done is to strengthen the defense industry owned by Indonesia and Singapore. The two countries should gradually take charge of the technology of the defense industry to be able to be self-sufficient in meeting the needs of military equipment for the armed forces.

The focus on defense cooperation without having to be associated with non-defense cooperation efforts is important in order not to become unfocused. From experience, the placement of defense cooperation within the non-defense cooperation agreement caused a lack of effectiveness in defense cooperation efforts.

I could see that the momentum for a new era of defense cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore was there after the 60th commemoration of the Asian-African Conference in Jakarta and the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia last March.

We should encourage the leaders of both countries to do a leaders'€™ retreat, which could be followed up by both defense ministries formulating a technical defense cooperation agreement.

It is time for the defense ministries of both nations to get together to formulate a new format for cooperation on defense issues in a more modern and professional style.

Old formats unrelated to contemporary defense concerns should be abandoned as this legally provides an internal burden for Indonesia.
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The writer, a deputy under then defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, heads the Center for National Strategic Studies (Pusat Pengkajian Strategi Nasional).