[hanomantoto]

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister of Singapore Laurence Wong convened a meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. One of the issues discussed was the commitment to implement the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), including the regulation of military zones.

“We share similar views on many issues, especially in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in the region (Southeast Asia),” Prabowo said in a statement after the bilateral meeting with Wong.

Wong, in a joint press statement, said that he and Prabowo discussed ways to strengthen cooperation including in defense. He thanked Prabowo, who previously served as defense minister under President Joko Widodo, for making the defense cooperation agreement possible.

“Now we can work together to bring our two militaries closer and further strengthen our defense cooperation in new ways,” said Wong.

The Indonesia-Singapore DCA officially entered into force on March 21, 2024. The DCA is valid for 25 years.

The DCA allows the Singapore military to conduct exercises in Indonesia, with “full respect for Indonesia’s sovereignty over its territory, including archipelagic waters and territorial and airspace, and in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” said the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Prabowo and Wong also discussed several bilateral issues and opportunities to enhance cooperation between the two countries. These include the economy, low-carbon energy technology, food security, and human resource development.

Prabowo hopes that Singapore can facilitate broader market access for Indonesian products, including through the harmonization of regulations and standards. The former commander of the Army’s Strategic Reserve Command also mentioned increasing Singaporean investment in Indonesia in priority sectors including renewable energy, industrial downstreaming, food security, digital and semiconductor, health, and the Nusantara Capital.

Wong also said that he and Prabowo discussed the global situation. The former finance minister said that Indonesia and Singapore share many similar strategic perspectives on the world.

“We will both pursue an active and independent foreign policy to achieve these goals, for mutual benefit, mutual interests, and most importantly, peace, stability, and prosperity for ourselves and Southeast Asia,” said Wong, who refused to take sides in the tensions between the United States and China.

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