Secretary Austin will travel to Jakarta where he will meet with senior government and military leaders as the United States and Indonesia work to chart an ambitious course in their defense partnership, the US Department of Defense noted in a press statement issued by the US Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday.
Secretary Austin's visit will drive progress on key bilateral initiatives to support interoperability, capability development, and the professionalization and modernization of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), according to the statement.
Secretary Austin will depart on November 18 for a trip to Canada first and will thereafter visit Indonesia and Cambodia, the statement noted.
In Nova Scotia, he will deliver keynote remarks at the 2022 Halifax International Security Forum centered on the department’s efforts to build a more resilient security architecture in concert with allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
Austin will also meet with Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand to discuss close defense relations between the US and Canada and the importance of strategic investments in defense capabilities.
Finally, in Cambodia, Secretary Austin will participate in the 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus alongside the 10 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners.
Austin’s first in-person participation in the forum, which was conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, continues a long-standing tradition of U.S. Secretary of Defense's representation at the ADMM-Plus.
On the margins of the ADMM-Plus program of events, Secretary Austin will hold an informal multilateral engagement with his ASEAN counterparts and meet with his counterparts from Cambodia and a range of partner nations.
Each of these engagements will highlight the important strides the department is taking alongside allies and partners to bring greater stability, transparency, and openness to the Indo-Pacific region, the US Department of Defense noted in a statement.
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Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Sri Haryati
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