RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Defense, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, received a courtesy call from Thailand's Minister of Defense, Adul Boonthumjaroen, at the Indonesia's Ministry of Defense, Jakarta, Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The visit by the Thai Defense Minister reflects the strong friendship of both countries, particularly in the areas of defense and military cooperation.

Before conducting a meeting, Minister Sjafrie and Minister Adul delivered a joint press statement. Minister Sjafrie said,"As we all know, Indonesia and Thailand are committed to reinforcing cooperation between our two countries by elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership."

"Particularly in the fields of defense and the military, we will further expand various activities under the framework of the Defense Cooperation Agreement, which serves as the foundation and umbrella for defense cooperation between Indonesia and Thailand."

Moreover, Minister Sjafrie stated both countries will continue to expand bilateral cooperation in military exercises, education and training, personnel exchanges, defense industry collaboration, and other activities related to multilateral cooperation as fellow ASEAN member states.

"Within the ASEAN framework, Thailand and Indonesia are also part of the collective effort to maintain stability in the Strait of Malacca, alongside Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Indonesia urges closer multilateral cooperation, and we are confident that we will further build up coordinated patrols among our countries to maintain stability in the ASEAN region, particularly in the Strait of Malacca," he conveyed.

Minister Sjafrie also expressed Indonesia's appreciation to the Thai Government and the Thai Ministry of Defense for Thailand's participation in the Garuda Shield exercise held several months ago. "Thailand's participation in Garuda Shield has become an integral part of fostering solidarity among ASEAN member states as well as with our other multilateral partners," he affirmed.

The Minister further stated that both countries are committed to expanding personnel exchanges. Indonesia plans to send military personnel to Thailand to gain valuable insights and compare military capabilities.

"For example, we will conduct exchanges of officers and special forces personnel from both countries. We are also planning to hold joint exercises between the special forces of Indonesia and Thailand," he conveyed.

Minister Sjafrie mentioned that the visit of Thailand's Minister of Defense to Indonesia, along with the commitment made by the Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul and the President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto during their meeting at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta on Monday, August 3, 2026. The meeting of heads of state will further boost cooperation of both countries not only at the institutional level, but also through closer people-to-people and professional ties.