Lloyd J. Austin III.Photo : Indonesia Defense/CVN
Friendship is at a high ebb between Jakarta and Washington, as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III praised Indonesia’s role in ASEAN, the Indo-Pacific and the world during discussions with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto.
The U.S. Embassy in Indonesia issued a press release Friday, October 21, saying the two officials met and discussed opportunities for the two countries to coordinate in the pursuit of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific and global issues of common concern.
Both countries stressed the importance of continued cooperation as regional security dynamics become increasingly complex.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin expressed interest in continuing to assist in the Indonesian military’s modernization and enhancing interoperability between the two countries.
Lloyd J. Austin also supported his counterpart’s emphasis on military professionalization, noting that Indonesia now has cadets at three U.S. service academies.
The officials also discussed significant advances in bilateral defence cooperation, including the recent expansion of the joint military exercise Super Garuda Shield this summer, the largest such exercise between the two nations.
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