Joint Statement recognises valued relationship

Defence Minister Mark Mitchell and his Indonesian counterpart, Ryamizard Ryacudu have signed a Joint Statement on Defence Relations today, signalling stronger defence ties between the two countries.

Meeting in Jakarta today, the Ministers confirmed the value the two countries place on the bilateral defence relationship, and identified a range of areas of cooperation to further strengthen it.

Mr Mitchell says that Indonesia plays a fundamental role in supporting security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

“That is why we value the relationship,” he says.

“We’ve had the opportunity today to discuss regional security issues and affirm our mutual commitment to bilateral defence cooperation.

“We also discussed exploring options for Indonesia and New Zealand to develop a more formal framework for both our current defence cooperation and to guide future engagement.”

Mr Mitchell travels to Singapore tomorrow to attend the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) Defence Ministers’ Meeting, and to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue later in the week.

The Joint Statement is available at here.