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View all search resultsIndonesia, Japan ink defense pact as Tokyo eases arms export restrictions
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Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi with Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin inspects the honor guard during a welcome ceremony on May 4 in Jakarta. (REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
I
ndonesia and Japan on Monday hailed a “historic milestone” in their security relations with the signing of a new defense cooperation agreement (DCA), reaffirming their commitment to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific amid heightened anxieties over an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
The DCA was signed during Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s visit to Indonesia, which began on Sunday as the first stop of his five-day Southeast Asia tour this week.
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta ahead of the signing, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Koizumi described the first Indonesia-Japan defense ministerial meeting of the year as an important step toward deepening long-standing bilateral ties, underscoring their shared commitment to closer coordination between the two countries’ defense establishments.
“We have agreed to advance substantive cooperation in the defense industry, as well as in personnel development between Indonesia and Japan, while taking into account each country’s national interests,” Sjafrie said.
At the same time, Koizumi said the DCA would serve as the foundation for future defense cooperation between the two countries, describing it as a crucial milestone in Indonesia-Japan defense relations.
“Amid an increasingly complex and tense international situation, including developments in Iran, deepening defense cooperation between Japan and Indonesia, both maritime nations that share fundamental values, will make a significant contribution to peace and stability, [also] for the region as a whole,” Koizumi added.
Read also: Can Indonesia-Japan ties keep regional peace?
