Indonesia and Japan on Monday signed a Defense Cooperation Arrangement (DCA), following a meeting between the defense ministers of both countries in Jakarta, according to an official statement.
Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin hosted his Japanese counterpart Koizumi Shinjiro for high-level discussions during the visit, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu.
In a joint press statement, the two sides “welcomed the steady strengthening of defense cooperation, including people-to-people exchanges, education, capacity building, and joint exercises between the defense authorities, under the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership.”
The DCA is intended to “further promote mutually beneficial bilateral defense cooperation and contribute to the peace and stability of both countries and the region,” the statement said.
The agreement covers several areas of cooperation, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, as well as collaboration on defense equipment and technology.
Notably, Japan recently made an unprecedented decision to ease its defense equipment regulations, further supporting expanded cooperation.
During the meeting, both sides also discussed the establishment of an “Integrated Defense Dialogue Mechanism” to deepen and broaden the defense partnership in a more coordinated and comprehensive manner.
The ministers further “concurred on enhancing discussions on measures to protect classified military information, with a view to strengthening operational cooperation.”
They also agreed that, when necessary to ensure the security of both countries and maintain peace and stability in the region, both sides would consult each other, according to the statement.
Emphasizing ASEAN centrality, the two ministers also agreed to continue discussions on cooperation within multilateral frameworks, including potential trilateral cooperation between Australia, Indonesia, and Japan, as well as broader regional platforms such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus.