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

1. Australian and Indonesian Foreignand Defence Ministers met for the Fifth 2+2 Meeting on 16 March 2018 in Sydney,Australia, in advance of the inaugural Australia-ASEAN Special Summit.
2. Guided bythe principles of the 2006 Lombok Treaty, Ministers met in a spirit offriendship, partnership and shared resolve to address the political andstrategic challenges faced by our region. The meeting's wide-ranging and opendiscussion reflected the strength, breadth and importance of the Australia-Indonesiarelationship, which brings benefit to both our peoples and has the potential togrow further.
3. Ministers welcomedthe signing of the renewed Defence Cooperation Arrangement on 1 February 2018as an important reaffirmation of the strength of the longstanding defencerelationship.
4. The meetingacknowledged the fourth Indonesia Australia Dialogue (IAD) to be held in early April 2018 in Sydney, which willbring together leaders from both countries in the fields of politics, business,media, academia, science, innovation, community and culture to discuss ourshared interests and challenges in a changing geo-strategic environment.Ministers await recommendations from Dialogue participants on new ways toadvance the relationship.

Indo-Pacific Region

5. Ministers welcomedthe opportunity to exchange frank views on the geo-strategic shifts underway inthe Indo-Pacific, recognising our shared security and prosperity is affected bydevelopments in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Indonesia acknowledged Australia's Foreign Policy White Paper and notedthe synergies with Indonesia's own vision for the region. Australia wasgrateful for the briefing Indonesia provided on its own developing Indo-Pacificvision. Ministers agreed to hold an Australia-Indonesia Senior Officials Meetingon the Indo-Pacific in the near future.
6. Ministers emphasisedour two countries' shared interest in an Indo-Pacific region that is open, transparent, inclusive, rules-based, prosperous and resilient,in which the rights of all states are respected. They further emphasised thatall countries should actin a waythat enhances stability and reinforces international law.
7. Ministers reiteratedtheir commitment to engage with the ASEAN-led regional architecture,particularly the East Asia Summit, ASEANRegional Forum and ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting‑Plus (ADMM-Plus). Theyemphasised the important role this architecture plays in setting expectationsof behaviour, supporting respect for international law, reinforcing arules-based regional order and promoting habits of cooperation on sharedchallenges.
8. Ministersreiterated their commitment to further exploring andexpanding practical defence cooperation under the ADMM-Plus. In particular, Ministersrecognised the important contribution Australia and Indonesia are making as co-chairsof the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations 2017-2020.
9. Ministersrecognised the value of working cooperatively in multilateral fora. Australiaacknowledged Indonesia's achievements as Chair of the Indian Ocean RimAssociation (IORA) from 2015-2017, including the inaugural 2017 IORA Leaders'Summit and Jakarta Concord. Ministers emphasised the importance of Australiaand Indonesia working together to continue to strengthen IORA as a criticalpillar of the region's architecture.
10. Ministersdiscussed the importance of deep, broad and constructive engagement with Pacificisland countries. They committed to finalising as soon as practicable aninitiative for joint development cooperation in the region.
11. Ministersrecognised that recent developments in the SouthChina Sea directly affect the region. In this context, they emphasised theimportance of maintaining peace, security and stability, freedom of navigationin and over-flight above the South China Sea. Ministers underscored theimportance for the states concerned to resolve disputes peacefully and inaccordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also emphasised the importance ofnon-militarisation, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities andavoiding actions that may raise tensions. Ministers noted the commitment ofASEAN Member States and China to ensure the full and effective implementationof the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) inits entirety, and acknowledged ASEAN Member States and China's efforts to worktowards the early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct in the South ChinaSea (COC), consistent with international law.

Maritime Cooperation and Security

12. Theimportance of effective maritime cooperation as a key part of our joint responseto the region's strategic challenges was underlined by Ministers. Owing toAustralia and Indonesia's long history of comprehensive maritime cooperation, Ministersnoted the important role Australia and Indonesia have to play in regionalmaritime security, including in cooperation with ASEAN partners.
13. Ministershighlighted the breadth and complexity of the range of maritime securitythreats facing the region, including challenges to sovereignty; the smugglingof people, arms, drugs and money; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; themovement of terrorists; and environmental concerns.
14. Ministersreiterated shared commitment to strengthen and expand maritime cooperation inresponse to these threats as underpinned by the Joint Declaration on MaritimeCooperation signed by Foreign Ministers in Sydney in February 2017. Ministers welcomedthe signing of the Maritime Cooperation Plan of Action as the instrument by whichthe Joint Declaration will be implemented. Australiathanked Indonesia for adopting the Minister of Marine and Fisheries' AffairsDecree on the HMAS Perth (I) MaritimeConservation Zone in the waters of Banten Province.
15. Ministersreflected on the significance of the Indian Ocean as a key strategic interestfor Australia and Indonesia. They shared views on the importance of unimpeded trade,secure sea lines of communication and maritime approaches, and increasedmaritime domain awareness. Ministers committed to work together to take forwardpractical ideas to enhance defence maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean.
16. Australiacommended the program of trilateral maritime patrols in the Sulu Sea launchedby Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in June 2017. Australia andIndonesia agreed the importance of thiscooperation as part of the regional response to criminal activities includingpiracy, drug trafficking and kidnapping as well as foreign terrorist fighters' movements. Ministers noted the potential for this cooperation to furtherpromote improved information-sharing and maritime domain awareness in theregion. In this regard, Australia alsocommended Indonesia's leadership of the 'Our Eyes' information sharing initiative.Australia reiterated its willingness to support Indonesia's leadership ofsub-regional maritime security cooperation.

Regional and Global Cooperation

17. Ministersunderscored the close partnership between Australia and Indonesia on counteringterrorism and violent extremism in our region. Ministers highlighted ourmutually beneficial and effective operational cooperation, bilateral exercisesand training. Australia and Indonesia re-committed to continue working closelytogether to strengthen regional responses to the threat of terrorism. Australiathanked Indonesia for its involvement in the inaugural Sub-Regional Defence Ministers'Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Perth, and appreciated Indonesia's willingnessto host the next meeting in 2019. Ministers welcomed the opportunity to explorecounter-terrorism cooperation further at the ASEAN-Special SummitCounter-Terrorism Conference on 17 March 2018.
18. Ministersshared the view that the return of foreign terrorist fighters from Iraq andSyria was a key emerging challenge requiring a collective regional response. In the aftermath of the situation in the southern Philippines, Ministers also expressed their commitment to closely cooperate withthe Philippines and other regional partners to prevent extremistswithin the region as well as further afield frompreparing or conducting acts of terrorism and violent extremism in our region.
19. Ministersemphasised the important role an open, free and secure internet plays in drivingeconomic growth, enhancing national security and fostering internationalstability. Ministers commented on the positive momentum in our bilateral cybercooperation. Australia commended Indonesia on the establishment of its NationalCyber and Crypto Agency. Ministers committed to further strengthen ourpartnership in this area including through the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter SessionalMeeting on ICT Security. Ministers looked forward to Indonesia's hosting of thenext bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue later this year.
20. Ministersacknowledged the value and importance of our cooperation to successfullydisrupt and dismantle people-smuggling networks. As Co-Chairs of the BaliProcess, Ministers discussed their concerns about the mass displacement ofRohingya and the potential for large scale irregular movement in the region.Ministers applauded the success of the inaugural Bali Process Government andBusiness Forum and noted the implementation of the Bali Process ConsultationMechanism. Ministers looked forward to Indonesia's hosting of the Seventh BaliProcess Ministerial Conference, scheduled to be held in August 2018 in Bali.