VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, General Dudung Abdurrachman, holding a video conference with Australian Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, from the Army Headquarters in Jakarta on Friday (February 11, 2022). (ANTARA/HO-Dispenad) - 

The Indonesian and Australian armies on Friday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation for developing their capabilities.

The agreement was inked during a video conference between Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, General Dudung Abdurrachman, and Australian Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, on Friday.

During the video conference, Abdurrachman expressed confidence that cooperation between the Indonesian and Australian armies will flourish further in the future.

The collaboration will be essential to enhancing cooperation, particularly in the training and education sectors, as well as dialogue between the two national armies, he said.

"After the COVID-19 pandemic ends, it will be the best moment to enhance the cooperation between the two national armies that would also bolster the Indonesian-Australian bilateral relations," he remarked in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.

Meanwhile, Burr affirmed that deliberations on partnership and cooperation commenced by Abdurrachman's predecessor would be continued by him and his successor in the future.

Exchange of army personnel and instructors must be initiated to enhance human resources of the Indonesian and Australian armies, the Australian army chief said.

Concurring with Burr, Abdurrachman reiterated the importance of maintaining fraternal relations between both national armies.

"Let us initiate a joint activity or training session in the future, and I hope the relationship between Indonesian and Australian armies will be enhanced further," he said.

Training and education aspects must be prioritized in the cooperation between the two armies, he added.

Indonesia and Australia must also align their perspectives and combine the tactics and techniques that they would develop, including the education aspect that is essential for enhancing the quality of commissioned and non-commissioned officers, he said.

"We must align our perspective in our training, and the education must not be reserved only for commissioned officers but must extend to non-commissioned and lower non-commissioned officers as well," the army chief of staff added.

To follow up on the meeting, Abdurrachman is expected to visit Australia in April 2022//ANT