ID :
40300
Mon, 01/12/2009 - 22:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/40300
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RI, A'LIA TO SHARPEN FOCUS OF JOINT MILY EXERCISES
Jakarta, Jan 12 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian and Australian defense forces have agreed to sharpen the focus of their joint exercises due to the limited budgets available to them amid the global financial crisis, Indonesia's military chief said.
Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander General Djoko Santoso told ANTARA here on Monday the reduction in the defense budget as a result of the global crisis had affected the TNI's budget for routine training and military operations.
"Training programs however have to continue, including joint exercises with other countries such as Australia although the available budget has shrunk. Therefore, we will review the priorities of training we are going to hold. We will see whether it is about maritime security or others," he said after accompanying Australian Defense Forces (ADF) Commander Marshal Allan Grant (Angus) Houston at a meeting with Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono.
Earlier in the day, the TNI and the ADF signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the Lombok Treaty concluded by the Indonesian and Australian governments on November 13, 2006 and effective as of February 7, 2008.
The Lombok Treaty provides for cooperation in the fields of defense, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, intelligence, maritime security and security of development.
It also covers emergency cooperation and cooperation in world organizations on security issues and inter-community cooperation.
The treaty will be implemented among others in the form of exchange of officers, exchange of visits by the two countries' defense forces to share experiences and the staging of joint exercises.
"To maximize the treaty's implementation, joint working groups will be set up in the fields of operations, training, intelligence and others," Santoso said.
Minister Juwono Sudarsono meanwhile said on a separate occasion that his office had conducted a review on several military cooperation programs with other countries, particularly joint exercises in view of the current global financial crisis.
"The current global financial crisis does not only affect Indonesia but also other countries. So we also have to adjust defense and military cooperation programs to the available budget," he said.
Indonesia and Malaysia have also agreed to sharpen the focus of their joint military exercises, he said.
Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander General Djoko Santoso told ANTARA here on Monday the reduction in the defense budget as a result of the global crisis had affected the TNI's budget for routine training and military operations.
"Training programs however have to continue, including joint exercises with other countries such as Australia although the available budget has shrunk. Therefore, we will review the priorities of training we are going to hold. We will see whether it is about maritime security or others," he said after accompanying Australian Defense Forces (ADF) Commander Marshal Allan Grant (Angus) Houston at a meeting with Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono.
Earlier in the day, the TNI and the ADF signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the Lombok Treaty concluded by the Indonesian and Australian governments on November 13, 2006 and effective as of February 7, 2008.
The Lombok Treaty provides for cooperation in the fields of defense, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, intelligence, maritime security and security of development.
It also covers emergency cooperation and cooperation in world organizations on security issues and inter-community cooperation.
The treaty will be implemented among others in the form of exchange of officers, exchange of visits by the two countries' defense forces to share experiences and the staging of joint exercises.
"To maximize the treaty's implementation, joint working groups will be set up in the fields of operations, training, intelligence and others," Santoso said.
Minister Juwono Sudarsono meanwhile said on a separate occasion that his office had conducted a review on several military cooperation programs with other countries, particularly joint exercises in view of the current global financial crisis.
"The current global financial crisis does not only affect Indonesia but also other countries. So we also have to adjust defense and military cooperation programs to the available budget," he said.
Indonesia and Malaysia have also agreed to sharpen the focus of their joint military exercises, he said.
