Defence Ministry: No Points on Alutsista Purchases in DCA with Japan

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence (Kemhan) has stated that points regarding the purchase of defence equipment are not included in the scope of the Defence Cooperation Arrangement (DCA) with Japan, which was signed on Monday (4/5). “There is no specific agreement on certain procurements yet,” said the Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Karo Infohan) of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, when contacted in Jakarta on Tuesday. According to Rico, both parties are focusing on fostering cooperation in several strategic areas, such as the development of military technology and strengthening maritime defence. These two cooperation points are considered highly beneficial for Indonesia as they can strengthen domestic defence equipment technology and tighten surveillance of the maritime areas of both countries. He assured that all forms of cooperation must consider Indonesia’s interests. “All potential cooperation will still prioritise the constitutional mandate, national interests, and contributions to regional stability,” said Rico. Previously, there were several cooperation points within the Defence Cooperation Arrangement (DCA) that had been signed by Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence and Japan. The DCA was ultimately signed by Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Ministry of Defence office in Central Jakarta on (4/5).