Jakarta. Indonesia and Qatar are looking to work together on the defense industry, although their recent ministerial talks have yet to culminate in a binding contract.

Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and his Qatari counterpart Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani entertained the idea when they met in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press, Sjafrie admitted that Jakarta sought a “mutually beneficial” partnership with Doha in this field. Al Thani -- also Qatar’s deputy prime minister -- said the two countries had shared "very strategic" defense relations without giving away any technical details.

Later that day, the Defense Ministry's logistics department sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Qatari government's military investment arm Barzan Holdings. Rico Ricardo Sirait, a spokesperson at the Indonesian Defense Ministry, revealed that both sides were still testing the waters.

“We have only just explored [if it's possible] for our defense industries to work together. Nothing is binding so far. We are not bound to a contract yet, nor to a particular context. We have only touched the general aspects,” Rico told reporters. 

He went on to say that they would most likely focus on land and maritime defense technologies. When pressed on whether this would cover underwater drones, Rico restated that the specifics were subject to further discussions.

Early this year, Jakarta's private-owned defense firm Republikorp announced it had clinched a $2.3 billion deal with Barzan for overhauls and enhancements of “critical naval and land-based systems" for the Indonesian military. They are expected to set up a joint venture.

The ministries also inked a “statement of intent” during Al Thani’s Jakarta visit, as a follow-up to a similar document signed in 2021. They are keeping their fingers crossed for a “defense cooperation agreement” or DCA -- a legally binding and comprehensive pact whose timeline remains vague.

“We are still working on it because the [DCA] requires a framework. Again, we need to discuss it at the working group level on how we should draft the agreement,” Rico said. 

President Prabowo Subianto, known for his aggressive military upgrade agenda, had hosted Al Thani at the palace on Monday.

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