US Opens Door for New Partnership, Vows to Respect Indonesian Sovereignty
Jakarta (ANTARA) - US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge A. Colby has stated that the United States is opening up opportunities for a new partnership with Indonesia, emphasising that the US respects Indonesian sovereignty.
In an online media briefing monitored in Jakarta on Thursday, Colby said that discussions with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin were productive and opened new avenues for a mutually respectful partnership between the US and Indonesia.
According to Colby, the technical details of the bilateral cooperation will be formulated together while respecting Indonesia’s sovereignty and spirit of nationalism. The cooperation is designed to strengthen Indonesia’s ability to safeguard its sovereignty, national identity, and security comprehensively.
Colby noted that the cooperation is not intended to force Indonesia to choose sides in an increasingly unpredictable global situation, but rather to enable Indonesia to protect its security and sovereignty independently in accordance with its national interests.
“Based on this visit, we see a great opportunity… where the approach is not to ask a country like Indonesia to choose one side or the other, but rather a cooperation that is truly designed to enable Indonesia to protect its own security and sovereignty,” Colby said.
On 11 August, Colby met with Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, followed by a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto the next day in Jakarta.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on the development of bilateral relations and the implementation of various programmes under the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) framework established earlier.
Sjafrie stressed that the development of defence cooperation with the US is not directed towards the establishment of US military bases in Indonesia.
The cooperation is focused on programmes that benefit the enhancement of national defence capacity, particularly in education, training, personnel capability improvement, and interoperability strengthening, in line with Indonesia’s needs and interests.
According to Sjafrie, the partnership is aimed at enhancing the capability and professionalism of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), strengthening the national defence industry, and promoting defence self-reliance in accordance with national interests while providing mutual benefits for both countries.