According to a press release issued by the Indonesian Defense Ministry here on Tuesday, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and his PNG counterpart Billy M. Joseph exchanged views on bolstering bilateral defense ties during a meeting in Port Moresby, PNG, on Monday.
“This visit affirms both countries’ commitment to enhancing non-pact defense cooperation based on equality and mutual respect,” head of the ministry’s information bureau, Brigadier General Frega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang, said.
He said that Sjamsoeddin and Joseph discussed concrete steps to accelerate the implementation of the mutually ratified Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), including through the establishment of a joint working group.
According to Inkiriwang, the agreement could translate into initiatives such as joint military exercises, soldier exchange programs for educational purposes, and technology exchange.
He expressed confidence that the DCA will further strengthen the harmonious ties between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and contribute to Indonesia’s efforts to enhance its defense posture and protect national sovereignty.
According to the Papua New Guinean National Information Center, the DCA was signed on March 12, 2010, by then-defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and then-PNG defense minister Bob Dadae.
While Indonesia ratified the DCA in 2012, the implementation of the agreement stalled for a long time, partly due to the pending ratification by PNG, whose National Parliament eventually endorsed it on February 14 last year.
Despite the delay, the Indonesian government is continuing to lend concrete support to the PNG Defense Force.
“The assistance rendered includes provision of military band, training of PNG Defense Force personnel at the Indonesian military staff college, and providing assistance to the PNG Defence Force CASA rehabilitation program,” the information center said.
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Translator: Walda M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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