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Indonesia, Australia ink ‘historic’ defense agreement
First revealed during Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto's visit to Canberra earlier this month, the Indonesia-Australia Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) is finally signed after over 30 bilateral meetings since March of last year.
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Defense minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto (right) and Australia's defense minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles shake hands after signing the Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) at the Indonesian Army Academy (akmil) in Magelang, Central Java, on Aug. 29, 2024. The pact, which includes provisions for joint drills and deployments to each country, was signed during Marles' visit to Indonesia this week. (AFP/Devi Rahman )
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ndonesia and Australia signed a long-anticipated Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), a defense treaty that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto called a “historical milestone” that will strengthen relations between the countries amid heightened concerns over regional security.
The signing ceremony took place at the National Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, on Thursday. Prabowo and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, who led his country’s delegation at the ceremony, signed the document.
House of Representatives Commission I chairwoman Meutya Hafid of the Golkar Party, as well as representatives from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Foreign Ministry, also attended the ceremony.
“This is not a military alliance,” Prabowo said after the signing, “but a defense cooperation, which signifies that we want to continue maintaining the good relations and friendship.”
He added that the DCA would pave the way for both countries to help each other in promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, as well as to face growing threats in the region, where tensions have been rising due to minilateral groupings and spats in the South China Sea.
Indonesia, with its free-and-active foreign policy stance, is treading a narrow path amid the United States and China’s ongoing competition for influence in the region, whereas Australia has aligned itself closely with its Anglophone allies.
“We respect Australia’s sovereign rights to uphold your security. We also understand that you respect our national interests,” said Prabowo, who will be inaugurated as the country’s next president on Oct. 20.
