Jakarta – United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will visit Jakarta, Indonesia, to map out the direction of the two countries’ defense partnership.
Secretary Austin will travel to Jakarta to meet with senior government and military leaders as the US and Indonesia work to chart an ambitious course in their defense partnership, according to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday.
According to the statement, Secretary Austin’s visit will accelerate progress on key bilateral initiatives to support interoperability, capability development, and the professionalization and modernization of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI).
According to the statement, Secretary Austin will depart on November 18 for a trip to Canada, followed by visits to Indonesia and Cambodia.
In Nova Scotia, he will deliver the keynote address at the 2022 Halifax International Security Forum, which will focus on the department’s efforts to build a more resilient security architecture in collaboration with allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
Austin will also meet with Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand to discuss the importance of strategic defense investments in Canada and the United States.
Finally, Secretary Austin will attend the 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Cambodia, along with the 10 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners.
Austin’s first in-person participation in the forum, which was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, continues a long-standing tradition of US participation. The Secretary of Defense will be represented at the ADMM-Plus.
Secretary Austin will hold an informal multilateral engagement with his ASEAN counterparts and meet with counterparts from Cambodia and a variety of partner nations on the fringes of the ADMM-Plus program of events.
According to the US Department of Defense, each of these engagements will highlight the important steps the department is taking with allies and partners to bring greater stability, transparency, and openness to the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: Antara