Indonesia and Australia sign their biggest security treaty in decades

Indonesia and Australia have signed what both call their most important security agreement in 30 years. As the Associated Press reports, President Prabowo Subianto and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the "Treaty on Common Security," nicknamed the Jakarta Treaty, at the presidential palace on 6 February 2026. It builds on earlier deals from 1995 and 2006 between the two neighbours.

Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, called it "the most important step in the bilateral partnership in three decades." The treaty comes with practical steps: Albanese said a senior Indonesian officer would be embedded inside the Australian Defence Force, and the two countries would build joint training facilities. The timing reflects shared unease about a more assertive China in the seas around them.

But experts were careful to note the limits. Susannah Patton of the Lowy Institute described the treaty as "symbolic" and stressed it is "very much not a mutual defense treaty," meaning neither country is bound to fight for the other if attacked. That fits Indonesia's long-standing "free and active" policy of avoiding firm military alliances. So the deal deepens trust and cooperation without locking Indonesia into taking sides.

Why it matters

Closer security ties with Australia can help Indonesia guard its vast waters and give it a steady partner in an uneasy region, without giving up its independence. For ordinary people, calmer relations with a large neighbour lower the risk of conflict and support trade. Watch whether the joint training and officer exchanges actually happen, turning warm words into real cooperation.