Canberra. Indonesia and Australia have finalized negotiations to elevate their bilateral defense cooperation arrangement to a treaty-level agreement, the two countries announced in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who will take office as president in October, traveled to Canberra to discuss the treaty with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles.

“I greatly value the friendship between our nations, and Indonesia will always remember Australia as one of the first countries to support our independence struggle in the 1940s,” Prabowo said. “I am committed to fostering an even closer relationship with our neighbor.”

The two ministers discussed ongoing progress towards strengthening the defense relationship, with a focus on expanding cooperation across several areas, including enhanced education links and closer maritime security collaboration, according to the joint statement.

Pending the completion of domestic approval processes, the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) will complement existing frameworks, such as the Lombok Treaty (2006) and the Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2018). These agreements have been key pillars in deepening Indonesia-Australia defense ties.

“Once implemented, the DCA will bolster our strong and robust defense cooperation by deepening dialogue, strengthening interoperability, and enhancing practical arrangements for the mutual benefit of both countries, as well as highlighting our shared commitment to working together to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” the statement said. 

It also underscored the shared commitment of both nations to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

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