Australia and Indonesia Ink Defence Pact to Respond Together to Security Threats

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn pose for a photograph at the welcome ceremony at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia on Nov. 12, 2025. Rick Rycroft-Pool/Getty ImagesAustralia and Indonesia will formalise a major defence treaty early next year, marking what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a “historic moment” in the neighbours’ 75-year relationship.Standing beside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Sydney, Albanese announced that negotiations on the long-awaited “Treaty on Common Security” had been finalised, with the formal signing expected in January 2026.“This treaty will commit Australia and Indonesia to consult at a leader and ministerial level on a regular basis on matters of security, to identify and undertake mutually beneficial security activities,” the prime minister said.“And if either or both countries’ security is threatened, to consult and consider what measures may be taken—either individually or jointly—to deal with those threats. This is a watershed moment.”Albanese said the framework was modelled on the 1995 Keating–Soeharto Agreement on Maintaining Security, and builds on the 2006 Lombok Treaty and 2024 Defence Cooperation Agreement.President Prabowo called it “an important treaty committing ourselves to close cooperation in the defence and security field,” reaffirming both nations’ “determination to maintain the best of relations in order to guarantee the security of our countries.”Treaty ExplainedForeign Minister Penny Wong said the new Treaty on Common Security would be a “significant extension” of existing cooperation, reflecting “the deep trust and close friendship” between the two nations.The treaty commits both countries to: