JAPAN TIMES



 

Japan and Indonesia have agreed to strengthen defense and security ties, the countries’ top diplomats and defense chiefs said Monday as they met in Tokyo to promote maritime security and military exercises as well as defense equipment and technology cooperation.

The move comes less than a week after Indonesia, which is interested in acquiring Japanese military equipment, announced plans to upgrade a key defense pact with Australia that could also open up opportunities for deeper trilateral cooperation with Japan amid growing concerns about the regional security environment.

But while these steps signal Jakarta’s willingness to institutionalize security ties with trusted partners, its outreach to Tokyo and Canberra should not be interpreted as a shift toward Western alignment, experts warn, but rather as part of efforts to broaden its strategic options.

Meeting for the first time in a "two-plus-two" format since March 2021, the Japanese and Indonesian officials agreed to intensify joint military drills, ramp up and formalize consultations — including between the countries’ top military commanders — and begin talks on how to protect military information to enable greater operational coordination.

The officials — Foreign Ministers Toshimitsu Motegi and Sugiono, and Defense Ministers Shinjiro Koizumi and Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin — also said they aim to expand maritime security cooperation, particularly in terms of capacity-building, including through Jakarta’s continued participation in Tokyo’s military aid program — formally known as Official Security Assistance (OSA).

Earlier this year, Japan agreed to provide two high-speed patrol boats to Indonesia under the OSA framework, with discussions now being finalized for the items to be provided under this year’s tranche.