In talks: US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (left) speaks with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta on Monday.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis arrived in Indonesia on Monday evening for a three-day visit to discuss a possible upgrade of regional defense cooperation in Southeast Asia.

“We share the Pacific — it’s an ocean named for peace — we would like to see it remain peaceful, so all the nations that use it and live here are prosperous,” Mattis said beforehand, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

Immediately upon arrival in Jakarta, Mattis met with Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, who informed him of Indonesia’s position on several important issues, such as the so-called Indo-Pacific concept, which is to form the core of Jakarta’s diplomacy throughout the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region in 2018.

The two met behind closed doors for 40 minutes, after which officials said Mattis would not be making any statements to the press. Retno, however, spoke with the media, telling reporters what she told the defense secretary: “We are keeping our habit of dialogue and comparing notes about issues on which we are not always in the same position.”

She said Indonesia had heard the US’ take on the Indo-Pacific concept, as well as that of Australia, Japan and India. The concept gained ground when US President Donald Trump used the term in his speeches during his tour of Asia in November.

“We also gave our take of the concept and what kind of architecture we wanted,” Retno said. “It has to be formed in the principle of openness, transparency, inclusiveness and cooperation.”

She said Indonesia was open for discussion on the issue, but she suggested everybody involved “take the ‘building blocks’ approach so that we can strengthen each other.” The proposed approach includes bilateral and multilateral cooperation across strategic areas, such as security, maritime, trade and investment.

Retno said she also told Mattis the Palestine issue was “in the hearts and minds of Indonesian people.” She said she proposed to him the two-state solution in which East Jerusalem would be the capital of Palestine.

“We want the US to reconsider its plan to reduce aid to Palestine,” she said. In response, she said Mattis told her US aid for education, health, women and children would be maintained.

On Tuesday morning Mattis is to meet Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, who said on Monday morning that among the issues the two would discuss would be Indonesia’s procurement of weapons systems (Alutsista) from the US and counterterrorism.

The US has provided Indonesia 24 refurbished F-16 fighter jets, kompas.com reported. Indonesia also ordered eight Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters from the US in 2013. The Army had received three of the eight helicopters and the remaining five were expected to be delivered in March this year.

When asked about a possible discussion over a new alutsista deal with the US, Ryamizard said that he might propose purchasing Hercules aircraft: “It’s possible because we also need to purchase up-to-date Alutsista, although we don’t need too many [Hercules].”

Ryamizard said during a previous meeting with Mattis in India he had suggested improving US-Indonesia counterterrorism cooperation and the US official had agreed to it. The two would discuss further details on the matter, including the possibility of intelligence sharing, during Tuesday’s meeting, he said.

Mattis was also set to meet President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto and Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto on Tuesday afternoon.

On Jan. 19, Mattis said strengthening alliances and building new security partnerships, including with non-traditional partners, with other nations was a main focus of the new US national defense strategy.

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