"This cooperation is a tool that shows that Indonesia can be a credible and important partner in the field of national defense," he said when contacted here on Thursday.
According to him, there is a need to strengthen the military's position on the international stage considering the various ongoing cross-country conflicts.
One of the disputes is the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, which is continuing to heat up.
He said that even though Indonesia is not one of the countries directly in conflict in the South China Sea, it must still demonstrate strong military diplomacy to maintain its territorial sovereignty.
Fahmi, who is also the co-founder of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), noted that Indonesia will gain many benefits from military cooperation with Australia.
The benefits include stronger military ties with Australia, improved quality of the military through joint training, as well as knowledge improvement through the exchange of personnel.
However, he underscored that Indonesia must not completely depend on the cooperation to strengthen its military.
"This is one of the ways that Indonesia does, first, to show that Indonesia's position with other countries is equal. Second, it shows eagerness to build a balanced relationship," he explained.
On Thursday, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles signed the Indonesia-Australia DCA at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java.
Prabowo noted that the signing of the DCA signifies that Indonesia and Australia wish to continue and maintain their friendly relations.
The agreement has a binding nature as a form of serious commitment from the two countries to improve and strengthen defense relations within the comprehensive strategic partnership framework.
The consideration for upgrading the status of the DCA to a legally binding agreement was the increasing military cooperation activities between the two countries over the past decade, especially in the fields of education and training.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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