1.5-Hour Meeting Between Indonesian and Australian Defence Ministers: Key Discussion Topics Revealed

Jakarta — Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin held a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles at the Defence Ministry Building in Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

The meeting lasted approximately one hour and thirty minutes, beginning at 09:04 WIB and concluding at 10:18 WIB.

Sjafrie stated that the meeting was conducted in two sessions: a one-on-one conversation and a bilateral meeting with delegations from both nations.

During the one-on-one session, Sjafrie explained Indonesia’s national defence policy to Marles, particularly regarding the management of national stability. “Then I also discussed how we are tracking global developments that also have an impact on Indonesia,” Sjafrie explained when met at his office on Thursday.

Cooperation was also developed through a trilateral framework involving Papua New Guinea alongside Indonesia and Australia, particularly in the field of defence professionalisation. According to Sjafrie, the idea for trilateral cooperation has expanded to include Japan alongside Indonesia and Australia in strengthening defence sector professionalisation.

The region was previously used as a military base during World War II and still retains various defence infrastructure. “We will jointly rehabilitate (defence infrastructure at Morotai) and utilise it together,” he stated.

Sjafrie said that implementation of the agreement represents a step to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. He added that personal relationships among officials from both nations are also important factors in strengthening international relations.

“We discussed this at considerable length. This is what makes us feel closer because it turns out that one reality is that relations between nations are highly dependent on personal relationships between individuals within the country or institution,” he explained.