David Van (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

'Indonesia and Australia are destined to be close neighbours. We cannot choose our neighbours. Australia is Indonesia's closest friend.' These are the words of Indonesian President Joko Widodo in his address to a joint sitting of parliament in January 2020. Every government has aimed to strengthen our relationship with Indonesia, and I have consistently advocated for stronger defence ties. The defence agreement agreed yesterday with President-elect Prabowo Subianto is a welcome step towards this goal.

The 2023 Defence Strategic Review highlighted that it's a priority for Australia's army to be transformed and optimised for littoral manoeuvre operations by sea, land and air. This transformation is not an abstract goal. It is a recognition of the geographical realities we face. When it comes to geopolitics, we can't forget the 'geo' part of it. Geography is the most binding constraint in geopolitics. This defence agreement, though we're yet to see the details, emphasises the strategic importance of our closest neighbours.

We need to keep our bonds with like-minded neighbours, should we ever need to undertake littoral manoeuvres in their waters or on their lands. I anticipate that this defence agreement with Indonesia will help strengthen our littoral manoeuvrability in Australia's northern approaches, but it will also cement our friendship with our close friend, Indonesia, whilst enhancing our collective strengths to close security gaps in the region.