Defence Minister Sjafrie Meets US Secretary of War at Pentagon: What Was Discussed?
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin met with the United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Virginia on Monday (13 April).
Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of Information at the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defence, explained that the meeting discussed strengthening defence cooperation between Indonesia and the United States.
He stated that the meeting serves as a starting point for bolstering the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programme through capacity building and human investment in education and training, including for special forces.
“This discussion aligns with the spirit of strengthening Indonesia-US defence relations, aimed at supporting regional peace and stability, enhancing the professionalism of both armed forces while respecting the sovereignty and national interests of each country,” Rico said in a written statement on Tuesday (14 April).
Rico added that as a follow-up, a joint statement was issued announcing the agreement to elevate defence cooperation between the two countries to Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP), formalised on 13 April.
The Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) is a framework to expand bilateral defence cooperation more strategically.
He explained that under this framework, Indonesia and the United States will explore jointly agreed initiatives, including capacity development cooperation, next-generation defence technology, improved operational readiness, professional military education, and strengthened interpersonal defence relations between the two countries.
“For Indonesia, this cooperation is seen as an opportunity to strengthen national defence capacity, but it will be carried out within the framework of an active independent foreign policy, national interests, and full respect for state sovereignty,” he said.
Rico noted that prior to the ministers’ meeting, a cooperation document was signed: the MoU with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) between the Director General of Defence Strategy of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence, Major General Agus Widodo, and the Director of DPAA, Kelly K McKeague, as the US counterpart.
The DPAA essentially represents humanitarian and historical cooperation for the research, search, recovery, identification, and repatriation of remains of US military personnel from World War II located in Indonesia.
He explained that in practice, this cooperation is carried out only with written approval from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia through the Ministry of Defence and must fully comply with Indonesian laws and regulations.
“Furthermore, DPAA activities are expected to consider local community interests, environmental protection, historical values, and provide social, academic, and economic benefits to the areas where activities take place,” he said.
Not Included in MDCP
Rico assured that the US proposal regarding military overflight access in Indonesian airspace is not included in the MDCP.
He emphasised that this is a proposal from the United States that will subsequently be considered internally by the Indonesian Government.
The proposal is being carefully reviewed based on national interests, Indonesia’s foreign policy principles, and state sovereignty.
“In the discussion process, Indonesia has made several important adjustments and emphasised that the document is non-binding, not automatically applicable, and requires further discussion through applicable technical mechanisms and national procedures,” he said.
The Ministry of Defence stated that every potential cooperation, including those still in proposal form and under discussion, will always be placed within the framework of safeguarding the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, national interests, and compliance with national and international law.
“Therefore, every future step will be taken cautiously, measurably, and involving official government mechanisms according to the authority of each relevant agency,” he said.