"Are the aforementioned five bills on the ratification of international defense cooperation to be passed into law?" DPR Speaker Puan Maharani asked lawmakers during a plenary meeting at the Parliamentary Complex, Jakarta, on Monday.
In response, all legislators and representatives of each parliamentary fraction voiced their approval for ratifying the international defense deals.
At the start of the meeting, Speaker of DPR's Commission I, Meutya Hafid, reported that her commission and the government had earlier agreed to proceed with the legislation of the bills during a work meeting held in Jakarta on Wednesday (September 25).
The parliamentarian emphasized that the five bilateral defense agreements made by Indonesia, which reflect the country's fruitful defense diplomacy, are expected to avert potential security threats and augment the quality of the national defense industry.
"Our defense diplomacy has resulted in cooperation in the defense sector with friendly nations, namely India, France, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, and Brazil," she highlighted.
She expressed hope that the ratification of the pacts would enable Indonesia to enjoy fair and mutually beneficial defense partnerships that place high regard on each participating nation's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, Law and Human Rights Minister Supratman Andi Agtas, on behalf of President Joko Widodo, expressed the government's approval for the ratification.
He stated that with the bills legislated into law, Indonesia has the legal basis required for implementing the defense agreements it has reached with the five countries.
At Wednesday's meeting with DPR's Commission I, Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto emphasized the importance of ratifying the defense cooperation agreements, considering the partner countries' reliable roles and technologies in the defense sector.
"Speaking of Cambodia, as an ASEAN member, it is in our interest to protect and support our partners within the ASEAN to grow stronger and become more self-reliant," he told lawmakers.
He then drew attention to the value of cooperation with India and France while pointing out that the two countries have nuclear weapons at their disposal.
He also spoke highly of the importance of the defense partnerships forged between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates and Brazil.
