Australia and Indonesia to Sign Landmark Defence and Security Treaty

Sydney, November 12:
Australia will sign a new defence and security treaty with Indonesia, marking a significant step in strengthening regional cooperation and ensuring what both countries describe as “common security.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the agreement alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto aboard the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra in Sydney on Wednesday. He said the treaty will commit both nations to regular consultations on security matters at both the leader and ministerial levels.

“This treaty is a recognition from both our nations that the best way to secure peace and stability is by acting together,” Albanese said.

Wearing matching naval caps, the two leaders hailed the pact as a major extension of existing defence cooperation. The treaty commits Australia and Indonesia to coordinate responses to shared challenges and to consider joint measures in the event of adverse regional developments.

According to SBS News, the idea was first proposed by Albanese during his re-election trip in May, with several confidential meetings since held to shape the final document. It builds upon the 2006 Lombok Treaty and last year’s Defence Cooperation Agreement.

President Prabowo praised Australia as a “good neighbour,” saying the new treaty reaffirms Indonesia’s determination to “enhance and guarantee the security of both our countries.”

“In Indonesian culture, we have a saying — when we face an emergency, it is our neighbour who will help us,” Prabowo said during his first official visit to Australia as president.

Why the Treaty Matters

The move is seen as pivotal, given Indonesia’s traditional stance of non-alignment in global politics.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the new deal draws inspiration from the 1995 security agreement between former leaders Paul Keating and Suharto — Indonesia’s first bilateral treaty of its kind, which dissolved in the late 1990s following tensions over East Timor.

“Australia and Indonesia both benefit from each other’s stability and sense of security,” Wong said, describing the relationship as one of “friendship, partnership, and deep trust.”

The treaty is expected to be formally signed early next year, further reinforcing economic and defence ties between the two nations.

Regional Implications

The announcement comes shortly after Australia signed the Pukpuk Defence Treaty with Papua New Guinea, which includes a mutual defence clause. Indonesia had earlier expressed concern over that agreement, urging all regional partners to respect sovereignty and avoid fuelling geopolitical rivalries.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl said the government “respects every country’s right to enhance its defence systems” but emphasized that such cooperation should contribute to regional peace and stability.

The forthcoming Australia-Indonesia treaty aims to achieve precisely that — enhancing coordination, modernising defence systems, and ensuring the Indo-Pacific remains a zone of peace, trust, and shared prosperity.