Content of Meeting between Defence Minister Sjafrie and US: From Military Cooperation to Overflight Issues
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A meeting between Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on Monday (13 April 2026) discussed several strategic agendas for defence cooperation between the two countries.
Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Infohan) of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defence (Kemenhan), Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that this meeting serves as an important momentum in deepening bilateral relations between Indonesia and the US, particularly in the defence sector.
One of the main outcomes of the meeting is the agreement to elevate cooperation to Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP).
“As a follow-up, a joint statement was issued announcing the agreement to elevate defence cooperation between the United States and Indonesia to Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP), formalised on 13 April 2026,” said Rico in his official statement to Kompas.com on Tuesday (14 April 2026).
In addition, both countries agreed to strengthen military personnel relations to enhance the professionalism of the armed forces.
In the meeting, Rico continued, strengthening the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programme was also a focus of discussion.
“This meeting marks the starting point for strengthening the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programme, through capacity building and human investment in education and training, including for special forces,” he explained.
This step is considered important to support regional stability and increase interoperability between the Indonesian and US militaries.
In addition to strategic agendas, both parties also discussed humanitarian cooperation through the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).
“DPAA, in principle, is a form of humanitarian and historical cooperation for research, search, recovery, identification, and repatriation of the remains of US military personnel from World War II located in Indonesian territory,” Rico revealed.
The Indonesian government emphasised that all activities are conducted with official approval and continue to consider national law, the environment, and the interests of local communities.
Another issue discussed was the Letter of Intent (LoI) regarding overflight clearance proposed by the US side.
The Indonesian government affirmed that the document is still in the discussion stage and is not yet binding.