Australia and Indonesia restore military cooperation

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Indonesian President Joko Widodo have agreed to fully restore military cooperation between their countries. In a joint statement, the two leaders put emphasis on the importance of strong partnership.

Turnbull and Widodo are on the same page on their aim to become much stronger by working hand in hand. "Risks and uncertainties only make it more critical we have a strong partnership that enables us to tackle challenges and seize opportunities together,” the joint statement said.

The Australian prime minister said the two countries have so much in common and are both focused to stability in the region. "We are both vibrant democracies that stand for mutual respect and diversity," Turnbull said.

“President Widodo and I have agreed to the full restoration of defence co-operation, training exchanges and activities,” Daily Telegraph quoted Turnbull saying. Meanwhile, Widodo has emphasised the importance of mutual respect.

“Robust relationships can be established when both countries have mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity, noninterference into the domestic affairs of each other and the ability to develop a mutual beneficial partnership,” Widodo said. He has also expressed gratitude to Australia for its support of Indonesia’s chairmanship in the Indian Ocean Rim Association. The Indonesian president dined at Turnbull’s Harbourside mansion on Saturday night before diplomatic deals were sealed.

The restored military cooperation comes less than two months since Indonesia suspended its ties with the Land Down Under. In early January, Indonesia opted to suspend all military cooperation with Australia. The move was done after an Indonesian allegedly filed complaints over "insulting" posters at a Perth training base.

The two leaders have also reportedly talked about trade, defence and counter-terrorism. Turnbull declared that Australia will open a consulate in Surabaya, Indonesia's second biggest city located in east Java.

Furthermore, Indonesia agreed to lower tariffs on Australian sugar imports according to ABC. In return, Australia will trim down barriers to imports pesticides and chemical products from of Indonesia.

Turnbull and Widodo have the same opinion that trade links were yet to reach their fullest potential. The two leaders have cited increased efforts towards the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) in their joint statement, saying their common vision is for the agreement to go beyond a traditional free trade deal. "It will face the challenges and seize the opportunities of the current trading environment building on the special Indonesia-Australia relationship,” the leaders’ joint statement further reads.