Australia-Indonesia on the path to a ‘historic’ defense pact

International Desk | PNN News

Australia and Indonesia are set to sign a “historic” defense agreement that will elevate security cooperation between the two countries. On Wednesday, November 12, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto approved the pact. The formal signing will take place in January.

Under the agreement, both countries will regularly participate in security discussions at the level of heads of government and ministers. It also includes a commitment for consultation and joint action in response to security threats.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese said, “This agreement recognizes the importance of joint action in maintaining peace and stability. We understand that sustainable security is possible only through collaboration.” President Prabowo Subianto added, “Good neighbors stand by each other in times of crisis. Our culture emphasizes that neighbors are the first to help in times of danger.”

While the full text of the pact has not yet been released, Australian media outlet ABC News reported that it is modeled on the 1995 security agreement between former Prime Minister Paul Keating and President Suharto. The old pact was canceled after Australia’s participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in East Timor. Since East Timor’s independence in 2002, relations between the two countries have improved significantly. Subsequent agreements include the 2006 Lombok Agreement and the 2024 Defense Cooperation Agreement.

This new pact will further integrate the two countries into close security consultations, analysts say. Both nations have long been concerned about China’s growing military presence in the South China Sea and the Pacific, even though China is an important trade partner for both. Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating told ABC: “Suharto and I realized three decades ago that a security threat to one country would impact the other due to geography. That’s when we conceived the idea of mutual defense cooperation.”

This upcoming Australia-Indonesia agreement is being seen as a “new chapter in defense diplomacy” that will play a key role in regional security and stability, according to experts.