The Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, and his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto signed the new Defence Cooperation Agreement on 29 August in Yogyakarta at the Indonesian Military Academy.
While the agreement hasn't tabled in Parliament yet - meaning that the text of it is unavailable to the public - it will enable more complex exercises and cooperation between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) according to Defence.
It will also deepen scientific and technical cooperation as well as personnel exchanges.
"We respect Australia's sovereign right to uphold your security, and we also understand that you respect our national interest. Australia has been one of the first countries to support our independence. We respect that, and we will never forget that you defended us in our struggle for independence," said the Indonesian Minister for Defence and President-elect, Prabowo Subianto
“As one of our closest neighbours, Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is essential to our nation’s security and prosperity," said the Minister for Defence, Richard Marles.