JOINT COMMUNIQUE
– Her Excellency Retno L.P. Marsudi, Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs*
– His Excellency Ryamizad Ryacudu, Indonesian Minister for Defence
– The Honourable Julie Bishop, MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs
– Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, Australian Minister for Defence
We, the Indonesian and Australian Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers met in Bali for the fourth 2+2 Dialogue on 27 October 2016. The dialogue was held in a spirit of friendship, openness and a common purpose to strengthen political and security cooperation as envisaged in the Lombok Treaty 2006.
We had a wide-ranging exchange of views on bilateral as well as regional and global issues of shared strategic concern. We also reviewed the progress of bilateral relations that has taken a better shape and grown stronger.
Bilateral Relations
We welcome the coming State Visit of the Indonesia President, H.E. Joko Widodo to Australia in November 2016. We note that the visit signals the vigorous commitment from both leaders to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between us with the objective of ensuring economic development and prosperity for the well-being of the people, as well as peace and security in the region.
We express support for the commitment of the two leaders during their bilateral meeting in Vientiane, Laos on 8 September 2016 (11th East Asia Summit) to the importance of increasing security cooperation on counter-terrorism. The implementation of the MOU on Combating International Terrorism has been instrumental in intensifying counter-terrorism cooperation through the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC), including the sharing of intelligence and deradicalisation of extremists.
We also commit to elevate security cooperation in cyber security. In this regard, we welcome the convening of the Inaugural Indonesia-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue in Australia at the earliest opportunity.
Indonesia and Australia attach great importance to maintaining constructive engagement in the Pacific. We agree to explore possibilities for complementary development cooperation with Pacific countries in practical areas such as good governance, climate change and small and medium enterprises.
In this regard, Ministers underline the importance of holding regular dialogues, and to begin looking at undertaking practical work together to promote economic growth and development in the Pacific. The Ministers task officials to coordinate and implement a complementary program of practical cooperation by the second half of 2017. We reaffirm our commitment to support the chairmanship of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in APEC 2018 through technical cooperation which will be conducted in 2017.
Ministers note the importance of enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation to promote peace, stability and prosperity in our shared maritime domain. Indonesia and Australia are natural maritime partners and will take practial steps to deepen and broaden engagement on maritime issues of mutual interest. Ministers welcome ongoing practical collaboration on maritime security, including the conduct of bilateral coordinated maritime patrols in 2016. Australia commends Indonesia’s role in bringing countries together to address maritime security threats in the region.
Ministers welcome Australia and Indonesia’s joint work to increase defence industry and military modernisation cooperation. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper reaffirmed the importance of supporting Indonesia as it modernises its defence forces. Ministers note that leading Indonesian and Australian defence industry members have signed a collaboration agreement to develop a mine-resistant armoured vehicle, based on the Australian Bushmaster design and customised for TNI operational needs.
Ministers welcome the successful hosting of the third Indonesia-Australia Dialogue in Yogyakarta in August 2016. The Dialogue process promotes mutual understanding between our two countries by facilitating productive and interactive discussions between participants with expertise from a broad range of fields including business, science, education and media. Ministers look forward to the fourth Indonesia-Australia Dialogue, to be held in Australia in early 2018.
Cooperation in Regional Forums
Ministers acknowledge Australia’s continuous support for ASEAN. We welcome the outcomes of the first Biennial ASEAN-Australia Summit in Vientiane, Laos in September 2016. Ministers highlight the strength of the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Partnership and its mutual benefits for our region and look forward to the Special ASEAN-Australia Summit to be held in 2018.
We underscore the importance of cooperation in the area of maritime safety and security through regional initiatives such as ASEAN-led forums, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). Ministers acknowledge Indonesia’s ambition and vision as IORA Chair from 2015-2017 and look forward to the IORA Ministers and Leaders Meeting in March 2017 in Indonesia.
The Ministers express their support for the implementation of the 2015 East Asia Summit (EAS) Statement on Enhancing Regional Maritime Cooperation, including through Indonesia and Australia’s convening of the EAS Maritime Security Cooperation Seminar in Sydney in 2016.
Ministers reiterate their commitment to defence engagement with ASEAN-led frameworks, particularly the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), to build cooperation, trust and transparency. Recognising the pivotal role of United Nations peacekeeping operations in supporting world peace and security, Australia and Indonesia look forward to jointly co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations from 2017 to 2020. We further look forward to deepening cooperation on peacekeeping and strengthening peacekeeping cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. We will also continue to make substantive contributions to all other ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups to strengthen practical military collaboration in our region.
On the South China Sea, we underline the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability, freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea. We underscore the importance for the states concerned to resolve disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We also emphasise the importance of non-militarisation. We note the commitment of ASEAN Member States and China to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety, and welcome ASEAN Member States and China’s efforts to work towards the early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
Cooperation in Global Forums
Ministers share the view that cooperation on counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism has been one of the strongest pillars in strengthening cooperation to respond to increasing regional and global security challenges.
We underline our shared views on the growing threat of ISIS, a dangerous terrorist group, that does not represent Islam and its teachings. It is necessary for like-minded countries to work together within their capacity to counter ISIS’s movement worldwide.
As co-chairs of the Bali Process, we discussed common approaches to enhancing our cooperation against people smuggling and trafficking in persons. We applaud the establishment of Bali Process Consultation Mechanism as reflected in the Bali Declaration on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, and look forward to its implementation.
*Represented by Ambassador Desra Percaya, Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa Affairs, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs