Indonesia and Malaysia Affirm Strengthened Cooperation in Bilateral Commission

Indonesia and Malaysia affirmed their commitment to broadening cooperation in various fields through the 17th Indonesia-Malaysia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Jakarta on Thursday. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that this JCBC serves as a moment to assess the bilateral cooperation that has been ongoing and to project new opportunities for the future. “Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to continue strengthening coordination to enhance broader cooperation across various sectors,” said Sugiono in a joint press statement with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan following the JCBC at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He mentioned that efforts to improve economic relations and protect citizens were among the topics discussed by the Indonesian and Malaysian delegations. The delegates also discussed strategic positions for expanding international relations, particularly regarding regional stability and efforts to achieve world peace, according to the Indonesian Foreign Minister. Sugiono expressed his belief that Indonesia and Malaysia, as kindred nations sharing ethnicities, culture, and language, can continue to optimise their joint potential for the prosperity and welfare of both countries’ people. On the same occasion, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan welcomed the return of the JCBC, noting that the last JCBC dialogue was held in 2018. He assessed that the Indonesia-Malaysia JCBC, besides affirming the commitment to cooperation between the two countries, is also an effort to resolve outstanding bilateral issues. “Relations between neighbouring countries sometimes still have knots that remain tied, and it is these knots that we will untangle,” said the Malaysian Foreign Minister, familiarly known as Tok Mat. The Malaysian Foreign Minister also expressed confidence that dialogue with Indonesian partners through the JCBC mechanism can help both countries align their shared vision and realise the desires of their respective leaders to enhance cooperation. The implementation of the Indonesia-Malaysia JCBC followed bilateral consultations between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in July 2025.