Indonesian Defense Minister Receives Qatari Counterpart in Jakarta

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin on Tuesday welcomed Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdurrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, for a courtesy visit at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Central Jakarta.

The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Qatar, particularly in the defense sector. According to ANTARA's observation at the site, the meeting began at around 10:02 AM local time.

Sjafrie, accompanied by Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto, received Sheikh Saoud upon his arrival at the ministry. The two officials exchanged greetings before taking part in an official welcoming ceremony, which included a military inspection.

Following the ceremony, the Indonesian and Qatari delegations proceeded to the Defense Ministry building for a closed-door meeting held at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Hall.

According to the ministry's agenda, the discussions are expected to cover a range of strategic issues, including regional and global security developments as well as opportunities to expand defense cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting comes amid increasing geopolitical tensions in several parts of the world, making defense and security cooperation a growing priority for many nations. Indonesia and Qatar have maintained diplomatic relations for decades and have sought to deepen cooperation in areas such as investment, trade, energy, and defense.

As of Tuesday afternoon, talks between the Indonesian and Qatari defense officials were still underway at the Defense Ministry.

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