Indonesia and US Agree on Major Defense Partnership
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and the United States have agreed to elevate their defence cooperation to the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) level as a framework for strengthening defence ties to achieve peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The partnership was officially launched during a meeting between Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and US Defence Minister Pete Hegseth at the US Department of Defense headquarters, the Pentagon, on Monday (13/4) local time.
“The two leaders agreed to elevate the US-Indonesia bilateral defence relationship to the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in an official Pentagon statement, monitored in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He explained that the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) has three main pillars implemented based on principles of mutual respect and national sovereignty.
The three pillars are military modernisation and capacity building, professional military training and education, and exercises and operational cooperation, Parnell stated.
The Pentagon spokesperson conveyed that during their meeting, Defence Minister Sjafrie and Defence Minister Hegseth committed to expanding the scope and complexity of bilateral and multilateral exercises, such as Super Garuda Shield.
This enhancement, he said, aims to strengthen the collective capabilities between the two countries’ militaries in efforts to maintain peace.
“The two leaders reaffirmed the important and continuously evolving defence relationship and discussed various shared goals, including enhancing special forces training and professional military education,” Sean Parnell added.
On the same occasion, Defence Minister Hegseth also praised Indonesia for its participation in the Board of Peace (BoP) and Indonesia’s decision to take on a command role in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, Parnell stated.
The newly agreed cooperation reflects the sustainable development of the US-Indonesia bilateral defence relationship that has been built over several decades.
In addition, Indonesia and the US recognise each other as important partners in the defence sector.
The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate based on principles of mutual respect, respect for sovereignty, and shared interests in maintaining peace and regional stability, according to the Pentagon statement.