Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander, General Andika Perkasa, has said that defense and security cooperation between Indonesia and Bangladesh must be bolstered.

"Good relations with the People's Republic of Bangladesh, particularly in the defense and security matters, must continue to be bolstered," Perkasa stated, as broadcast by TNI’s official YouTube channel here on Saturday.

The TNI commander made the statement while welcoming the visit of Bangladeshi Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman.

During the meeting, Perkasa discussed the ongoing cooperation between Indonesia and Bangladesh, particularly in defense and security affairs.

"In the upcoming months, we will have a (joint military) training on peacekeeping operation organized by Indonesia and the United States here, and I believe Bangladesh could also participate (in the joint training)," he remarked.

Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi Ambassador expressed his gratitude for the hospitality offered by Perkasa during his visit.

"Thank you for your time. This (visit) is a good thing for our diplomatic relations that we have established since 1972," Rahman said.

Related news: Bangladesh sets sights on broader cooperation with Indonesian SOEs

Since Bangladesh established diplomatic relations with Indonesia, cooperation between both countries has grown significantly, he added.

"Last year, we had the Four in Office Concentration platform, which is a meeting between two foreign ministers where we had agreed to cooperate on various aspects, particularly the defense and counter-terrorism aspects," the ambassador noted.

Besides Bangladesh, the TNI commander had earlier discussed joint disaster response training with the Australian Defence Attaché, Brigadier General Matthew Campbell.

"(The joint training) will enhance the disaster mitigation capability in Indonesia," Perkasa said, as observed on the official YouTube channel on May 18, 2022.

The planned joint training between the TNI and the Australian Defence Force will be called Crocodile Response and would involve all three branches of both national militaries, he added.

Related news: Indonesia agrees to boost cooperation with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka



Translator: Boyke Ledy Watra, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022