TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto received personal protective equipment (PPE) worth 2 million Australian dollars provided by the Australian Defense Ministry for the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase here on Saturday.

Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds handed the PPE assistance, comprising gloves, medical gowns, face masks, and diagnostic thermometers, to Subianto at the airbase. The assistance was transported to Indonesia on a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130 Hercules plane.

Reynolds said Indonesia and Australia are longstanding partners that have strong relations and a long history of cooperation, particularly in times of need.

"COVID-19 brings a new challenge and uncertainty for our two countries. Like the Australian Armed Forces there, TNI plays an important role in supporting the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia," she said in a statement.

The armed forces of the two countries have also established cooperation and exchanged knowledge on COVID-19 handling, she added.

Meanwhile, Prabowo Subianto lauded the military cooperation between the two neighboring nations. In addition to assistance for the COVID-19 pandemic, both countries have also frequently held joint exercises, he said.

Australia has invited many TNI officers to study at the Australian military academy, he added.

In return, Indonesia sent personnel to Australia early this year to help fight land and forest fires in New South Wales, Prabowo said.

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ANTARA