Japanese Defence Minister: Few Partners Are as Close and Open as Indonesia

JAKARTA - Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro stated that the cooperative relationship with Indonesia has developed very quickly and openly.

“Few working partners establish communication this close and open within such a short period,” Shinjiro said at the Office of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence in Central Jakarta on Monday (4/5/2026).

The statement was made before he and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin held a bilateral meeting and signed a defence cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Japan at the Indonesian Ministry of Defence.

“Since our first meeting in Malaysia last November, Minister Sjafrie and I have also met in Tokyo, held telephone discussions, and even met at Narita Airport another month,” Shinjiro said.

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

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

The agreement is scheduled to be signed today and is described as an important milestone in Indonesia-Japan defence relations.

Shinjiro also touched on the increasingly complex global situation, including tensions in Iran.

He assessed that strengthening defence cooperation between Indonesia and Japan, as fellow maritime nations with aligned core values, will contribute to peace and stability in the region.

After the signing, he plans to discuss further concrete steps for cooperation with Sjafrie, ranging from maritime security, joint exercises, to the development of defence equipment and technology.