Joint ministerial statement of intent on upgrading our Defence Cooperation Arrangement

Australia and Indonesia’s defence partnership is underpinned by mutual trust, transparency and a shared commitment to a stable, peaceful, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Meeting in Canberra, we recalled the importance of the Agreement between Australia and the Republic of Indonesia on the Framework for Security Cooperation (the Lombok Treaty) (2006) and the Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2018) as key pillars of our partnership.

We acknowledged the importance of the existing Defence Cooperation Arrangement (2021) in guiding our defence cooperation and confirmed our intent to elevate this to an agreement that is binding under international law.

We intend for the new agreement to bolster our strong defence cooperation by supporting increased dialogue, strengthening interoperability, and enhancing practical arrangements. Negotiations will include consideration of issues such as reciprocal access to training ranges and streamlined entry and exit processes for joint activities.

Together, Australia and Indonesia make an important contribution to regional security. Elevating our existing arrangement sends an important message of our shared commitment to a region that embraces ASEAN centrality and the objectives and principles of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, where sovereignty is respected.

We have asked officials to undertake negotiations expeditiously, and report to us regularly on progress.