THE recent visit of Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Lieutenant General (Retired) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, to Pakistan is expected to further enhance mutual cooperation in defense production, energy and food security, maritime affairs, anti-terrorism, and coordination across various sectors including the economy, trade, investment, and joint ventures.
The series of high-level meetings held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal General Asim Munir vividly reflected both countries’ serious intentions to deepen defence ties and explore potential collaboration in defence production.
The visit of the Indonesian high-level delegation was timely with immense strategic importance because of rapidly changing geopolitical and geostrategic scenarios emerging in the region and beyond urging a closed cooperation and coordinated efforts to mitigate these spillover repercussions. Moreover, volatility of South Asia, fragility of South East Asia and increasing uncertainty in the larger Asia-Pacific region requires policy readjustments and sustainable security partnership between Pakistan and Indonesia. Hence, it is hoped that the forthcoming visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will further enhance the pace, scope, and utility of bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.
While meeting with Indonesian Defense Minister Lieutenant General (Retired) Sjafrie the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to broadening cooperation with Indonesia across all sectors, including defence, trade, strategic engagement, and investment.
Additionally, Premier Shehbaz rightly emphasized the need to accelerate the implementation of key provisions under the Pakistan-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement and reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to advancing joint ventures in mutually beneficial projects. Thus joint defense production of 5th generation war fighter jets, military drones, advanced radar systems, tanks and last but not least, air force and naval cooperation will be a value addition. Moreover, joint military drills, training and exchange of security education, experts and strategists is the need of hour.
The Prime Minister highlighted the enduring friendship between the two countries, rooted in shared religious, cultural and historical values. It augurs well that both nations stressed the importance of enhancing bilateral ties and acknowledged the robust partnership between Pakistan and Indonesia on international platforms. Interestingly, the Indonesian General Sjamsoeddin held a separate meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at General Headquarters during which two dignitaries discussed regional security dynamics, ongoing defence cooperation, and strategies to strengthen military-to-military collaboration. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) upheld that the meeting reflected the long-standing, brotherly relationship between the armed forces of the two nations.
During the meeting, Field Marshal Munir rightly emphasized the role of mutual defence partnerships in promoting peace and stability across the region. On his part, Gen Sjamsoeddin acknowledged the Pakistan Army’s contributions in the global fight against terrorism and reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to bolstering military ties with Pakistan. Interestingly, in recent times, Indonesia has been linked to the following proposed purchases: American F-15EXs, Chinese J-10s, ex-Austrian Eurofighters, ex-Qatari Mirage 2000-5s, South Korean KF-21s and Turkish Kaans. Thus further diversity of defense production cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia would be supportive for regional peace and stability.
Evidently, deepening mutual cooperation in health, education, tourism, culture and media sectors are further transforming strategic friendship between two countries. It argues well that in June 2025, both countries agreed to enhance collaboration in vaccine production, medical institution development in Indonesia, pharmaceutical innovation, and human resource exchange. Therefore, frequent exchange of business delegates of both countries are actually making more human, commercial and economic connecting hubs for the further development of mutual trust of trade, investment and joint ventures.
Obviously, the most recently held meetings underscore the growing strategic alignment between the two countries and a shared commitment to expanding cooperation across multiple dimensions for mutual benefit. In the beginning of this year it was commonly shared in reliable diplomatic circles that more than 10 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements were likely to be signed between the two brotherly countries during the expected visit of President Prabowo Subianto. So, both sides should also engage in talks to make progress on a free trade agreement (FTA) to further strengthen economic ties.
It seems that Indonesia is committed to its commitment to global peace and stability through defense diplomacy, with the return of the Indo Defence 2025 Expo & Forum, one of Southeast Asia’s largest international defense exhibitions, Central Jakarta, it reaffirmed its constructive contribution in regional peace and stability. Peace and stability remained a strategic priority of Indonesia which aligned with the fourth paragraph of the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution, which calls for Indonesia to actively participate in establishing world peace. In the modern era, stronger defense partnerships foster more stable regions, which are essential for long-term economic development too. Thus strong defense cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia would be a game changer in the region and beyond.
Furthermore, Indonesia’s strategic location in the Indo-Pacific Region holds political, economic, and geographical positions that require a proper defense system. Therefore, a closed maritime cooperation between two sides would further gear blue economy, climate change, disaster management and above all anti-terrorism spheres. More than seven decades since Indonesia’s independence, the pursuit of a self-reliant national defense industry remains an elusive goal which may be further strengthened with increasing defense cooperation and joint military production with Pakistan.
In summary, the writer suggests that for further strengthening of bilateral relations both countries should focus more on cooperation in processed food, pharmaceuticals, IT services and halal meat while consumer electronics, auto parts and processed palm-based products are far better in Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and its macro-economy is stable, sustainable and diversified, which can assist us in diverse sectors of the economy including textile, Islamic fashion products, Islamic tourism, Islamic banking, halal startups, metal & mining, education, biodiesel, renewables, SMEs, digitalization, e-commerce, engineering and biotech and palm oil production.
—The writer is President, Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, Executive Director, CSAIS, regional expert: China, CPEC & BRI.
(mehmoodulhassankhan@yahoo.com)
