Indonesia and Australia Near Landmark Defense Treaty, Leaders Announce

Indonesia and Australia near final agreement on bilateral defense treaty

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that the two countries are close to signing a new bilateral defense treaty. The announcement was made during President Prabowo’s first state visit to Australia, with the leaders speaking to reporters in Sydney.

Prime Minister Albanese said the governments have "substantively concluded negotiations on a new bilateral treaty on our common security" and expressed hope that the completed treaty will be signed during his visit to Indonesia in January.

Key provisions: Albanese said the pact would require Australia and Indonesia to consult regularly at both leader and ministerial levels on security matters, to identify and undertake mutually beneficial security activities, and to consult and consider measures—either individually or jointly—if either country faces threats to its security.

Prabowo: "We, I think, concluded an important agreement, an important treaty between Australia and Indonesia."

He added: "Good neighbors will help each other in times of difficulties and in the Indonesian culture, we have a saying: when we face an emergency, it is our neighbor that will help us."

The announcement signals a deepening of defense and security cooperation between the two nations. While details of the final treaty were not released, the leaders emphasized regular high-level consultations and cooperative measures to address shared security challenges.