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The Australian and Indonesian Defence Ministers have met in Indonesia for the annual Australia-Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
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Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, who co-chaired the meeting with Indonesia’s Minister for Defence, Ryamizard Ryacudu, said they discussed common interests in the Indo-Pacific region, enhancing maritime security and cyber co-operation, and identifying further areas of regional collaboration including through Our Eyes and tri-lateral patrols.
"As our nations enter an era of comprehensive strategic partnership and our defence co-operation enters its sixth decade, Australia and Indonesia are committed to promoting security, stability and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific," Minister Pyne said.
The ministers also agreed to establish an officials-level joint working group to identify mutual areas of co-operation to combat counter terrorism and the return of foreign fighters.
Minister Pyne said, "Australia’s defence relationship with Indonesia is based on practical cooperation to support our mutual interests in the region such as maritime security, counter terrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief."
As part of the discussion, ministers Pyne and Ryamizard discussed cyber security and countering the financial networks of terrorists operating in the Indo-Pacific region.
"We’ve been pleased to assist Indonesia in a humanitarian response to the Sulawesi catastrophe. And importantly, today Minister Ryamizard and I talked about counter-terrorism; the returning foreign fighters from the Middle East; home grown terrorism, both here and in Australia; how to exchange information; intelligence gathering; surveillance and reconnaissance; what role Australia might have in Our Eyes as part of the south-east Asia response to counter-terrorism. It was a very productive discussion," Minister Pyne said in follow on statement.
