Defence Minister Richard Marles, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the deck of HMAS Canberra in Sydney on Wednesday. Photo: ADF.
Relations between Australia and Indonesia have been boosted with the signing of a security treaty in Sydney on Wednesday (12 November).
The surprise agreement was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto aboard the Royal Australian Navy’s flagship HMAS Canberra.
In a brief statement, the government said the treaty was modelled closely on the Agreement on Maintaining Security, signed by former prime minister Keating and former president Soeharto in 1995 – but which subsequently soured following Australia’s 1999 intervention in Timor Leste.
The treaty is reportedly the culmination of discussions between Mr Albanese and President Subianto over the past six months, including at September’s UN General Assembly, and at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in late October.
It said it reflected the close friendship, partnership and deep trust between Australia and Indonesia, under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Mr Albanese said the treaty was a recognition from both nations that the best way to secure that peace and stability was by acting together.
“It signals a new era in the Australia-Indonesia relationship,” he said.
“The treaty is predominantly based on the landmark security agreement signed by the Keating and Suharto governments 30 years ago.
“It will build on the 2006 Lombok Treaty that, among other things, reaffirmed Indonesia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he added. “It also builds on the Defence Cooperation Agreement that we signed together last year.
“This treaty will commit Australia and Indonesia to consult at a leader and ministerial level on a regular basis on matters of security to identify and undertake mutually beneficial security activities, and, if either or both countries’ security is threatened, to consult and consider what measures may be taken either individually or jointly to deal with those threats.”
President Subianto said the two countries had completed an important treaty.
“I mentioned many times that we cannot choose our neighbours, especially countries like us,” he said.
“It is our destiny to be direct neighbours. So, let us face our destiny with the best of intentions.
“I believe in the good neighbour policy. Good neighbours are essential,” he added.
“Good neighbours will help each other in times of difficulties. And in the Indonesian culture, we have a saying – When we face an emergency, it is our neighbour that will help us. Maybe our relatives will remain far away, but our neighbours are the closest. And only good neighbours will help each other.”
The substance of the treaty hasn’t been clearly defined. Rather than being a mutual defence pact where each country will automatically support each other if attacked, it will instead trigger a consultative process. It commits the parties to:
- “Undertake to consult at leader and ministerial level on a regular basis about matters affecting their common security and to develop such cooperation as would benefit their own security and that of the region
- “Undertake to consult each other in the case of adverse challenges to either party or to their common security interests and, if appropriate, consider measures which might be taken either individually or jointly and in accordance with the processes of each party
- “Agree to promote – in accordance with the policies and priorities of each – mutually beneficial cooperative activities in the security field, in areas to be identified by the two parties.”
Indonesia has historically been a non-aligned nation since it was formed after World War II, and has developed trade and defence relationships with a number of countries including Russia, European nations, and the US.
Most recently, President Prabowo was one of a number of foreign leaders who attended China’s massive Victory Day parade in September, standing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Indonesia’s non-alignment also means its military (TNI) operates equipment such as combat aircraft and vehicles sourced from multiple nations including Russia, France, and the US.
Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Kalil echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiment in describing the treaty as a “watershed moment”.
“The fact that there’s going to be regular meetings at the ministerial level and the leader level is quite significant,” he said.
“But also, I think … the fact that both countries will agree to do exercises together or to take on initiatives and programs in the security space together, builds on what we do with disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, other military exercises – it’s quite significant.
“And the other last bit that I think is quite significant is that if there is a threat to either country that they will consult, we will consult each other about how we can either individually or jointly respond to that threat or that security challenge in the region.”
Original Article published by Andrew McLaughlin on PS News.
