Indonesia, China agree to strengthen partnership through inaugural 2+2 SOM
Indonesia and China held their first Senior Officials’ Meeting of the Joint Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+ 2 SOM) in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Indonesian and Chinese officials at the event. Photo courtesy of Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Director General for Asia-Pacific and African Affairs under the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdul Kadir Jailani and Secretary Directorate General for Defense Strategy of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Oktaheroe Ramsi co-chaired the event with Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Deputy Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission Zhang Baoqun.
Jailani told a press briefing after the meeting that the event marked a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries as they held the first joint meeting to bolster collaboration across politics, defence and security.
He added that the 2+2 SOM serves as a preparatory step for the ministerial-level dialogue to be held in 2025.
During the meeting, the two sides reached an agreement on capacity development cooperation for diplomats, and joint military training between the two nations. They also reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation to maintain regional security and stability, prevent terrorism, and handle transnational crimes.
The Joint Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) stems from the Memorandum of Understanding agreed upon during President Joko Widodo's visit to Beijing in October 2023. The 2+2 at the ministerial level in 2025 will be part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-China diplomatic relations (April 13, 1950-2025).
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