Overview
- Leaders Anthony Albanese and Prabowo Subianto signed the Treaty on Common Security in Jakarta on Feb. 6, formalizing a commitment to consult if either country faces a threat.
- The agreement states the countries will consider measures that could be taken individually or jointly in response to adverse challenges, with reporting noting the possibility of a joint military response.
- Practical steps include embedding a senior Indonesian officer in the Australian Defence Force and Australian support to develop Indonesian military training facilities to enable joint drills.
- The full text has not been released, and experts describe the pact as largely symbolic and short of a mutual-defense guarantee given Indonesia’s non-aligned foreign policy.
- Officials say the treaty builds on the 1995 and 2006 accords and forms part of Canberra’s broader push to deepen regional ties and offer a counterweight to China’s influence.