Indonesia and Australia are looking to expand their defence cooperation to include Japan and Papua New Guinea, Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, said on Thursday after meeting his Australian counterpart.
Sjamsoeddin told reporters in Jakarta that trilateral security arrangements were being considered between Indonesia, Australia and Japan, as well as another grouping involving Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The announcement followed talks with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and came weeks after the leaders of Indonesia and Australia signed a new security treaty committing the two nations to consult each other if either country faces a threat.
Sjamsoeddin said the two countries would also strengthen intelligence sharing, though he did not provide details on how the cooperation would be structured.
Morotai training facility under discussion
The ministers also discussed the possibility of developing a defence training facility on Morotai island in Indonesia’s North Maluku province. Sjamsoeddin said the proposal involves upgrading existing defence infrastructure on the island.
“We will work together to improve and utilise it,” he said.
Marles said the Morotai facility would remain under Indonesian ownership but could offer opportunities for Australia to participate in training activities.
“The facility will belong to Indonesia, but there would be opportunities we see for Australia to engage in training there,” Marles said, adding that Jakarta would determine how it is ultimately used.
Sjamsoeddin added that military personnel from countries including the Philippines, Australia and Singapore could also gain access to the Morotai facility. Another training site is being developed in North Kalimantan with Singapore.
Indonesia ready for Gaza security mission
Separately, the Indonesian defence minister said Jakarta was prepared to deploy troops as part of a proposed international security force in Gaza, though the decision would depend on developments involving U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” initiative and the evolving conflict in the Middle East.
Indonesia had initially been prepared to contribute up to 20,000 troops, but the figure has been scaled back to around 8,000 to be deployed in phases, Sjamsoeddin said. The reduction came after other countries involved in the initiative pledged troop contributions numbering in the hundreds.
“The president has instructed us to prepare our troops, and we are ready to act, but we are awaiting developments from the BOP,” he said. “I cannot confirm anything yet because the situation is very dynamic.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
