Joint Statement on the Eighth Australia-Indonesia Foreign and Defence Ministers’ 2+2 Meeting

Australian and Indonesian Foreign and Defence Ministers met for the Eighth 2+2 Meeting on 9 February 2023 in Canberra, Australia.

1. Consistent with the principles of the 2006 Lombok Treaty, Ministers met in a spirit of respect, friendship, and shared resolve to address regional challenges.

2. Reflecting on the Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Bogor on 6 June 2022, Ministers reaffirmed the importance of our two countries working together to achieve our shared goals of an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, where sovereignty is respected.

3. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). In the year ahead, Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, development, infrastructure, clean energy transition, defence and security, and people-to-people relationships.

4. Ministers highlighted the significant contribution our bilateral defence relationship makes to regional security. Ministers recognised the value of our enduring military education and training links, and the important work being undertaken to expand the scope and complexity of activities between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI).  

5. Ministers committed to deepening our defence engagement even further, including by working together on military medicine, military technology, defence industry and exploring ways to make it easier for our militaries to work together. Ministers reiterated their commitment to transparency around respective strategic and defence policy settings. Indonesian and Australian Defence Ministers looked forward to further discussions on defence cooperation during the Defence Ministers’ Meeting on 10 February 2023.

6. Ministers deplored in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. They demanded the Russian Federation’s complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine. The Ministers also denounced the prolonged war and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks. They also urge all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution through diplomacy.

7. Australian Ministers commended Indonesia’s leadership of the G20 in 2022 and for leading a strong agenda to prioritise global efforts to recover together and recover stronger from the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.

Partnering in the region

8. Ministers expressed their shared vision of the Indo-Pacific as a region of dialogue and cooperation, where countries can make their own sovereign choices and where international law is respected. Ministers agreed to work together to navigate a more contested region, ensuring responsible management of strategic competition with ASEAN at the centre.

9. Ministers highlighted their ambition for a world without nuclear weapons and their commitment to strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime, including its cornerstone, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Australia and Indonesia were founding members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and remain steadfast supporters of its vital role and mandate in upholding the NPT. Ministers welcomed cooperation in the context of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network to build practical safeguards capabilities.

10. Ministers reaffirmed their support for ASEAN and ASEAN-led architecture in underpinning regional stability and prosperity, including the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). They also underlined their commitment to the principles outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and their practical implementation.

11. Ministers reaffirmed Australia’s support for Indonesia as 2023 ASEAN Chair and committed to working with Indonesia in support of its priorities, centred on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and its practical implementation. Ministers discussed Australia’s proposal for a Special Summit to Commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations in 2024. Ministers welcomed the participation of Timor Leste in ASEAN Meetings as an observer, and discussed how Australia and Indonesia can best support Timor Leste’s full membership.

12. Ministers reflected on the need for deepening regional engagement on economic integration and connectivity, particularly in health, food security, energy transition, financial stability, digital transformation and green economy, in line with Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN Chair theme, under the pillar of “Epicentrum of Growth”. Ministers discussed opportunities to work with Australia’s Special Envoy for Southeast Asia to strengthen Australia’s economic engagement with the region, and bolster two-way trade and investment to drive regional growth and prosperity.

13. Ministers reiterated their strong support for the central role of ASEAN in addressing the crisis in Myanmar, including the efforts of the ASEAN Chair and ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar. Ministers underscored that the ASEAN Five Point Consensus shall remain the valid reference for addressing the situation in Myanmar. Therefore, Ministers also urged the Myanmar military to swiftly and fully implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus. They called for the immediate cessation of violence and for the creation of space for meaningful dialogue to allow the democratic process to resume.

14. Ministers agreed to further cooperate to advance Women, Peace and Security initiatives in the region, including under the South East Asian Network of Women Peace Negotiators and Mediators (SEANWPNM) and the ADMM-Plus.

15. Ministers reaffirmed the importance of a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient Pacific region, where the sovereignty of nations and the centrality of inclusive, Pacific-led regional architecture, particularly the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), is respected. Australian Ministers welcomed Indonesia’s increasing engagement in the Pacific, including through Indonesia’s Pacific Elevation and the inaugural Indonesia-Pacific Forum for Development in December 2022. Ministers recognised the importance of working with the PIF, acknowledging Pacific priorities as articulated in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. Ministers looked forward to continued collaboration to support Pacific needs, underpinned by our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning Trilateral Cooperation with Pacific Island Countries.

16. Ministers emphasised Australia’s and Indonesia’s shared commitment to a rules-based maritime order, underpinned by adherence to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Ministers expressed serious concerns about developments in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. They underscored the importance of the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS. Ministers also expressed their concern at the continued militarisation of disputed features and encouraged all parties to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may raise tensions. Ministers reiterated that the conclusion of a substantive, effective and actionable Code of Conduct for the South China Sea should not prejudice the rights of all states under international law, particularly UNCLOS.

17. Ministers noted a common interest in regional engagement on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Ministers welcomed deepening defence cooperation in this area, including through Indonesia’s inaugural participation in Exercise Crocodile Response in 2022. Ministers confirmed their intent to support HADR cooperation with other partners, including through the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on HADR and by inviting key Southeast Asia partners to observe Exercise Crocodile Response in 2023.

18. Ministers welcomed the convening of the Eighth Bali Process Ministerial Conference in Adelaide on 10 February 2023. Ministers acknowledged that the Bali Process was a strong example of Australia and Indonesia working together to address shared challenges in the region on people smuggling, trafficking in person, and related transnational crimes.

19. Ministers acknowledged the importance of working with regional partners and in multilateral forums. They committed to deepening cooperation in trilateral engagements with Timor-Leste, India and the Pacific. Ministers also agreed to work together in the United Nations, G20, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), to address shared challenges and ensure these institutions are effective, open and transparent.

Deepening cooperation

20. Ministers discussed the importance of deepening economic ties through the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), as well as through regional architecture such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA). Ministers welcomed the stronger business-to-business links under IA-CEPA. Ministers welcomed the extension to 2026 of the successful Prospera Program in December 2022, an important element of our bilateral cooperation on economic governance and shared prosperity.

21. Ministers discussed food security and supply chain challenges, and looked forward to discussing economic resilience at various fora. Ministers noted the value of high-level dialogues and rules-based mechanisms in contributing to food security, supply chain resilience and broader economic security in both Australia and Indonesia.

22. Ministers acknowledged the impacts of rapid technological change and the opportunities and challenges these present. Ministers looked forward to the bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue in 2023 and emphasised the important role an open, free and secure Internet plays in driving economic growth, enhancing national security and fostering international stability. Ministers discussed cooperation to address challenges to our economies and societies, including from cyber and ransomware attacks and malicious actors.

23. Ministers discussed combatting the global challenges of disinformation and misinformation. Ministers agreed on the importance of democratic resilience and strong democratic institutions in the modern information era.

24. Ministers reiterated their commitment to continued cooperation to counter transnational crime, and to counter terrorism and violent extremism, in our region. Ministers noted the strength of our cooperation for mutually beneficial and effective operational cooperation, bilateral exercises and training. Ministers committed to continued dialogue on the progress of deradicalisation programs in the region.

25. Ministers acknowledged their commitment to Australia and Indonesia’s long history of bilateral maritime security cooperation, including under the 2017 Joint Declaration on Maritime Cooperation. Ministers discussed the ongoing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and the value of continued close operational cooperation between our countries. Ministers discussed enhancing information-sharing and supporting greater maritime domain awareness.

26. Ministers emphasised the complex and wide-ranging impacts of climate change on peace, security and development and underlined their commitment to work together to achieve our mutual clean energy transition goals, including through the Australia-Indonesia Climate and Infrastructure Partnership. Ministers committed to shared efforts to safeguard regional security by advancing integrated development, diplomatic, humanitarian and disaster risk reduction efforts in Southeast Asia to build resilience and reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change on peace and security, notably through the new ASEAN Centre for Climate Change and the ASEAN-Australia High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change and Energy Transition.

27. Indonesian Ministers expressed their sincere gratitude to Australian Ministers for the warm welcome and hospitality during the Eighth 2+2 Meeting.