Australia and Indonesia strengthen defense ties at 2+2 meeting

Australia and Indonesia held their tenth “2+2” foreign and defense ministers' meeting in Melbourne to strengthen bilateral relations. The discussions centered on the implementation of the Jakarta Treaty on Common Security, a landmark agreement intended to deepen defense and security cooperation between the two nations.

A primary focus of the meeting was maritime security. To enhance maritime domain awareness and combat issues such as illegal fishing, Australia announced it will provide aerial drones and training to the Indonesian Coast Guard.

Beyond maritime concerns, the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in several emerging sectors, including cybercrime, critical infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. This includes integrating defensive cybersecurity components into the bilateral defense exercise, Keris Woomera. The meeting reflects a period of high-level cooperation, with Australia viewing Indonesia as a central pillar of its foreign policy and Indonesia seeking to advance its security interests while maintaining strategic autonomy.