National Parliament ratify Defense Cooperation Agreement with Indonesia after 10-year delay

  The National Parliament has ratified a Defense Cooperation Agreement [DCA] with the Republic of Indonesia, after the last agreement ended a decade ago.      

In Port Moresby today, Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko presented the DCA ratification documents to Indonesia's Ambassador to PNG, Andriana Supandy, for the Indonesian Parliament to ratify the agreement, and Prime Minister James Marape to sign the DCA when he visits Jakarta later this year.   

“After 10 years parliament had ratified this very important defense agreement between Indonesia and PNG.  These documents have been signed off and approved by Acting Speaker of Parliament Koni Iguan, couple of weeks ago, and now ratify by Foreign Affairs Department and signed by myself,” Mr Tkatchenko said.

PNG already signed two security pacts with the United States and Australia in 2023 to support its protection of its territorial waters and improve local policing in the country.  

The renewal of the security pact “looks forward to our partnership in security, securing our borders, securing our people and ties and partnership with Indonesia which has never been strong as before,” PNG's top diplomat said.  

Ambassador Andriana Supandy said PNG and Indonesia militaries “under this agreement will have programs of cooperation like capacity building, training, sending officers to Indonesia, joint exercise, logistics and intelligence cooperation.”

The Indonesian Embassy will send the “ratification [DCA documents] to Indonesia for their careful corporation [and] we sincerely hope with this agreement will strengthen cooperation with Papua New Guinea,” said Mr Supandy.