Indonesia and Thailand will hold joint special forces exercises and intensify coordinated naval patrols along the strategic Strait of Malacca as part of efforts to expand their defense partnership, Indonesia's defense minister said Tuesday.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a meeting between visiting Thai Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Adul Boomthumjareon and his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Jakarta, state-run Antara news agency reported.
Sjafrie said the two countries were moving forward with the implementation of their bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement, which provides the framework for joint defense initiatives.
The agreement covers key areas including joint military training, defense industry development, personnel exchanges and military education.
"We will exchange officers and soldiers from the special forces of both countries, and we also plan to conduct joint training between the special forces of Indonesia and Thailand," Sjafrie said.
The two defense ministers also agreed to strengthen operational security along critical regional waterways, particularly the Strait of Malacca, to help preserve stability within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"We will increase coordinated patrols between each country to ensure stability in the ASEAN region, particularly in the Strait of Malacca," Sjafrie said.
