TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Indonesia, Australia reaffirm commitment to security ties
Change Size
Closer ties — Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu (left) shakes hands with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop during the 2+2 Dialogue in Bali on Friday. During the meeting, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in security and defense. (Courtesy of Julie Bishop/Twitter)
I
ndonesia and Australia are set to continue strengthening the security ties they have developed in various areas, an official has said.
"Indonesia and Australia are committed to strengthening cooperation in counterterrorism and maritime affairs and exploring new cooperation in the field of cybersecurity," the Foreign Ministry's director general for Asia Pacific and Africa, Desra Percaya, said on Friday.
Desra represented Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi at the 2+2 Dialogue attended by foreign and defense ministers of both countries to discuss strategic security talks in Bali.
He said the meeting took place at a time when relations between Indonesia and Australia continued to improve.
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu earlier said at the meeting that Australia and Indonesia could take advantage of their geographic proximity to jointly maintain security and promote the welfare of people and the region.
The Foreign Ministry said several agreements were raised at the Bali meeting, including Australia's support for Indonesia's initiative to build a deradicalization center in Sentul, Bogor, as part of the implementation of a memorandum of understanding on international terrorism eradication cooperation signed by the two countries at the same forum last year.
Both parties also agreed to forge a cooperation on capacity building within the framework of security and cybercrime.
A joint statement resulting from the meeting noted defense and military weaponry system cooperation.
"Ministers welcome increased defense industry and military modernization cooperation such as through the agreement between leading Indonesian and Australian defense industry members to develop an armored vehicle, based on the Australian Bushmaster design and customized for the Indonesian Military’s operational needs," it stated. (ebf)
