TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In an official bilateral state visit to France’s Ministry of Armed Forces, the Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto asserts that it acts as a means to strengthen the defense partnership between both states and also improve Indonesia’s defense industry.

“Indonesia and France had always preserved a good defense partnership as two strategic partners,” said Prabowo in a written statement on Monday, January 13.

He also asserts that Indonesia intends to continue to improve both the country’s defense partnership, especially in strengthening Indonesia’s primary weaponry defense system (Alutsista).

Prabowo was accompanied by the air force chief of staff assistant (Asops KASAU), School Commander and Navy Command Staff (Danseskoal TNI), which were welcomed by France’s Armies Minister Florence Parly together with a number of armies ministry officials.

Indonesian Ambassador to France Arrmanatha Nasir explained that the chances to further increase state-defense partnerships are still wide open, especially after the meeting produced a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) which acts as a framework for bilateral partnership in defense.

The DCA will focus on military training and education, development in the defense industry, science, and technology, intelligence, peacekeeping operations, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian missions.

MUHAMMAD HENDARTYO