JAKARTA: The defense ministers of Indonesia and Japan signed a cooperation agreement on Monday, Jakarta said, underlining the need to safeguard regional peace and stability in the face of global tumult.&nbsp;The signing during Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi&#39;s visit to Indonesia came after Tokyo had eased decades-old arms export rules last month, allowing firms to sell lethal weapons to countries with which Japan has defense agreements.&nbsp;Indonesian defense ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait told AFP that the agreement was part of efforts to improve defense cooperation between the two countries.&nbsp;The pact covers issues including collaboration in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, joint exercises and maritime cooperation, Rico said.&nbsp;He added that it also &quot;opens up opportunities for cooperation in defense equipment and technology&quot; while &quot;prioritizing... regional stability&quot;.&nbsp;Indonesia&#39;s President Prabowo Subianto, a former general, has been pushing to modernize the country&#39;s ageing military assets since taking office in 2024.&nbsp;Koizumi earlier said that defense cooperation with Indonesia would make a &quot;contribution to peace and stability... for the region as a whole&quot; amid &quot;an increasingly complex and tense international situation&quot;.&nbsp;After his talks with Indonesia&#39;s Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in Jakarta, Koizumi is bound for the Philippines, where Japanese forces are taking part in a joint military exercise also including the United States.&nbsp;Indonesia last month concluded a defense cooperation pact with the United States, agreed to increase security ties with France, and signed an oil deal with Russia.&nbsp;Jakarta, while defending a non-aligned diplomatic posture it calls &quot;free and active&quot;, last year joined the BRICS bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia and US rival China.&nbsp;Prabowo has also signed a trade deal with US President Donald Trump and joined his so-called &quot;Board of Peace&quot;.&nbsp;Last week, Jakarta said it was still considering a US request for blanket overflight clearance which, if approved, analysts say could be seen as an alignment with Washington over Beijing.&nbsp;Indonesia is strategically located on the Malacca Strait &nbsp;the world&#39;s busiest chokepoint for oil and petroleum liquids, according to the US Energy Information Administration.&nbsp;The vast majority of China-bound oil travels through the strait.

Asia

Indonesia and Japan signed a defense pact to cooperation in humanitarian aid, joint exercises, and defense technology after Japan eased arms export rules, as Jakarta expands military ties while maintaining non-aligned stance amid regional tensions.

Articles tagged with "Defense pact"

Indonesia, Japan sign defense pact after Tokyo unlocks arms exports

Indonesia, Japan sign defense pact after Tokyo unlocks arms exports