What are the Details of Indonesia-Qatar Military Cooperation?
Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin received a visit from Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, who also serves as Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, at the Ministry of Defence Building in Jakarta on Monday, 2 June 2026. Upon arriving at the Ministry of Defence at approximately 10:00, Sheikh Saoud was welcomed by Sjafrie and the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, General Agus Subiyanto.
Following the welcoming ceremony, a bilateral meeting was held, attended by delegations from both Indonesia and Qatar. Sjafrie noted that Sheikh Saoud’s visit serves as a follow-up to his own visit to Qatar on 11 April 2025.
According to Sjafrie, the meeting addressed several defence cooperation agendas between Indonesia and Qatar. The discussions covered cooperation in military training, education, and the defence industry. “We will bring forward several matters regarding the details of defence cooperation between Indonesia and Qatar, including cooperation in training, education, the defence industry, and more,” said Sjafrie.
Sjafrie also stated that Indonesia and Qatar are currently discussing the drafting of a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA). He noted that both nations are continuing the discussion process to reach a formal agreement.
In addition to the DCA, both countries discussed the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian and Qatari defence industries. “We will implement an MoU between the Indonesian and Qatari defence industries,” Sjafrie added.
He remarked that this cooperation is aimed at supporting the future defence relationship between the two nations. During the meeting, Sheikh Saoud noted that the relationship between Qatar and Indonesia holds a strategic position, particularly in the field of defence.
He expressed his hope that the ongoing discussions would result in formal cooperation agreements between the two countries. Sheikh Saoud also conveyed his appreciation to the Indonesian government for the hospitality provided during his visit to Jakarta.
This meeting serves as a continuation of the bilateral agenda between Indonesia and Qatar following Sjafrie’s visit to Doha in April 2025. Key issues discussed during this session included the finalisation of the defence cooperation agreement and the strengthening of defence industry collaboration between the two nations.