Indonesian and Japanese Defence Ministers Address Tensions in Iran Conflict

JAKARTA - Japan’s Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro views defence cooperation with Indonesia as a strategic step amid an increasingly complex and tense global situation marked by the Iran war.

“In the midst of the international situation that is becoming more complex and tense, such as Iran, deepening defence cooperation between Japan and Indonesia, which share similarities as maritime nations and fundamental values, will make a significant contribution to peace and stability,” Shinjiro said at the Indonesian Ministry of Defence in Central Jakarta on Monday (4/5/2026).

“Not only for the two countries, but also for the region as a whole,” he added.

Shinjiro described the cooperative relationship with Indonesia as developing very quickly and openly.

He even noted that few of Japan’s partners have this level of communication intensity in such a short time.

“Since our first meeting in Malaysia last November, Minister Sjafrie and I have met in Tokyo as well, had telephone discussions, and even met at Narita Airport a month later,” Shinjiro said.

In the November 2025 meeting, Shinjiro expressed his desire to elevate relations between the two countries to a higher level.

According to him, Sjafrie provided strong support for that idea.

“At that time, Minister Sjafrie proposed the formulation of a Defense Cooperation Arrangement as a major compass that will guide the direction of defence cooperation between the two countries in the future,” he stressed.

According to him, today’s cooperation agreement is an important milestone in the defence relations between Indonesia and Japan.