MAGELANG, Aug 29: Indonesia and Australia signed a new defence agreement Thursday, pledging closer cooperation to counter security threats in the Asia-Pacific region.
The pact, announced this month, was signed during Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles' visit to Indonesia this week and includes provisions for joint drills and deployments to each country.
The two countries have sought to boost security ties in the face of increased flashpoints in the region including the South China Sea, where several states claim sovereignty over disputed islands and waterways.
Indonesia's defence minister Prabowo Subianto described the Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement as a "historic milestone".
"(The deal) was carried out together to… increase cooperation to help each other overcome various security threats and promote sustainable peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," he told a joint news conference Thursday.
Prabowo emphasized that the agreement was not a military pact or military alliance, adding that he hoped to forge stronger ties with Australia in the future.
Marles said the pact was the most significant defence agreement between the two countries, hailing it as a "treaty-level agreement". —AFP
