Jakarta / Fri, October 23, 2020 / 08:24 pm
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and his French counterpart Florence Parly are seeking to sign before the end of this year’s Defense Partnership Agreement (DCA) on the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
During his work in the last few weeks, Prabowo went to Paris to visit a variety of countries. From October 15 to 19, the former General Army visited the United States. Tuesday before he reached France on Wednesday he flew to Austria.
Prabowo and Parly urged “the negotiating team to finish the negotiations soon and the ministers could sign the agreement by the end of the year,” in a meeting held at the French Minister of Defense Office on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Paris. “In the last few years I have seen strong improvement in the strategic defence,
“In the quote, Prabowo said. “Indonesia wants to enhance cooperation in various defense fields with France, including to enhance the primary arms system [Alutsista] of the indonesian military [TNI] and increase the defense industries in Indonesia ‘s potential for the global Alutsista supply chain.”
In January, both ministers agreed to consolidate their security cooperation in a DCA as a basis for the future cooperation in security. The DCA will include co-operation in education and training, growth in the defense sector, research and defense technology, co-operation in intelligence and counter-terrorism, cooperation in peacekeeping operations and humanitarian missions during disasters like COVID-19.
Both Ministers have highlighted the importance of the contribution of both countries in the Indo-Pacific region to sustain peace and security. The second meeting with Parly this year in Indonesia, Indonesian Ambassador to France, Arrmanatha Nasir said that the proximity of the two countries in defense relations had become evident.
“Their involvement in the second meeting of the cooperation group of strategic Defense Equipment was expressed not only in enhanced coordination between the Ministers, but also in the involvement,” the ambassador said.
Since 2013, Indonesia and France have held an annual Indonesia-France Security Dialog (IFDD) where both countries are addressing training , education and the cooperation against terrorism. The two countries signed a letter of intent, including on maritime protection, in 2017, to strengthen defense cooperation.
