Australian soldiers and military personnel could be based in Indonesia, and more joint military drills will take place, after a landmark defence deal was agreed to by the two nations.
An F35-A fighter jet flew over Parliament House in Canberra as Indonesia’s President-Elect, Prabowo Subianto, arrived for meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and other senior government ministers.
The Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Arrangement will be upgraded to a treaty level agreement, with a deal to be inked by Defence Minister Richard Marles in Indonesia in coming days.
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The new treaty means joint defence drills and paves the way for military personnel to be based in each other’s countries, as fears grow about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Albanese said: “Australia and Indonesia are working together to shape the region we both seek. One that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.
“It will be a vital plank for our two countries to support each other’s security, which is vital to both countries, but also to the stability of the region that we share.”
The prime minister will attend Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration ceremony in Jakarta on Sunday, October 20.
Foreign policy experts say Subianto will be a president with a greater global outlook, who will seek a more prominent global and regional leadership role than his predecessor, Joko Widodo.