Australia and Indonesia have today agreed to the substantive conclusion of a new bilateral Treaty on Common Security.
The Treaty is modelled closely on the Agreement on Maintaining Security, agreed by Prime Minister Keating and President Soeharto on 18 December 1995.
The Treaty will reflect the close friendship, partnership and deep trust between Australia and Indonesia, under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Australia and Indonesia both benefit from each other’s stability and sense of security.
Through this Treaty we will take our cooperation to a new level, for the benefit of both our own security and that of the region.
The Treaty will commit the parties to:
- “Undertake to consult at Leader and Ministerial level on a regular basis about matters affecting their common security and to develop such cooperation as would benefit their own security and that of the region”
- “Undertake to consult each other in the case of adverse challenges to either party or to their common security interests and, if appropriate, consider measures which might be taken either individually or jointly and in accordance with the processes of each Party” and
- “Agree to promote - in accordance with the policies and priorities of each - mutually beneficial cooperative activities in the security field, in areas to be identified by the two Parties”.
The Treaty will be a significant extension of existing security and defence cooperation between Australia and Indonesia. It builds on the 2024 Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement and the 2006 Lombok Treaty.
The Treaty will set out in formal terms our common interest in the peace and security of our region, and our commitment to work together to support the security of our region.
Following our respective processes, the Leaders look forward to signing the Treaty in the new year.