Jakarta (ANTARA) - The governments of Indonesia and Qatar on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation, with a focus on enhancing military capabilities and developing the defense industry.

The progress was marked by the signing of a statement of intent on defense cooperation by Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdurrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani in Jakarta.

“This signing follows up on the letter of intent signed in 2021,” Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defense Ministry’s Information Bureau, told reporters after the ministerial talks at the ministry headquarters.

He added that the two countries had also signed a memorandum of understanding that lays a foundation for deeper cooperation in defense industry development.

According to Sirait, Indonesia stands to gain significantly from the enhanced partnership, which could pave the way for strategic initiatives with Qatar, including joint military exercises, personnel exchanges, and military education programs.

Sirait expressed confidence that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) would be able to strengthen the technical capabilities of its personnel through the partnership with Qatar. He also described the newly signed documents as concrete instruments for elevating bilateral relations to a new level.

“These signings represent concrete steps toward strengthening defense ties between the two countries, making cooperation more structured and mutually beneficial while translating it into tangible collaborative programs,” he said.

Regarding defense industry development, Sirait noted that both countries have yet to determine a specific model of cooperation and provided no details on potential defense procurement deals.

He confirmed only that Indonesia and Qatar “will carry out cooperation in the field of defense industry.”



Related news: Prabowo welcomes Qatari deputy PM at Merdeka Palace