Australia and Indonesia on the Brink of a New Defence Pact
Australia and Indonesia are on the verge of finalizing a new and upgraded defence pact, marking a significant milestone in their bilateral relationship. This agreement is expected to be signed by the end of this month, with Indonesian Defence Minister and incoming President Prabowo Subianto visiting Canberra for the signing ceremony.
The new pact is seen as the most strategically significant bilateral agreement between the two countries since the Lombok Treaty of 2006, which reset their security ties. It will allow for more expansive joint military exercises, signifying a deepening of cooperation and a shared strategic vision.
This development comes after a long and sometimes fraught history of defence cooperation between the two nations. Previous agreements, such as the 1995 security treaty, were disrupted by diplomatic and political disputes. However, recent years have seen a renewed commitment to collaboration, with joint military exercises and the provision of military equipment from Australia to Indonesia.
While the new agreement represents a major step forward, it is important to note that Indonesia remains committed to a non-aligned foreign policy. This means that the pact will not be a formal military alliance or a mutual defence treaty, and neither country is expected to offer security guarantees to the other.
Furthermore, Australia's involvement in the AUKUS agreement with the US and the UK has narrowed the space for closer strategic alignment with Indonesia. Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, are wary of being drawn into great power competition and prefer to avoid becoming a battleground.
Despite these limitations, the new defence pact is a positive development that will strengthen cooperation between the two countries and contribute to regional security. However, it is crucial to continue building "ballast" in the relationship through stronger economic ties, greater migration, and deeper people-to-people links to ensure its long-term stability and resilience.