Jakarta: The Southeast Asian country of Indonesia has extended an invitation to Saudi Arabia to assist in the development of its defence industry in an effort to forge strategic security ties with the Kingdom, according to the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday.
When the two nations signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2014, security ties between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia were formally established.
When Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Tuesday, it gave them a boost.
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According to Subianto's spokesman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, "the Ministry of Defence is hoping to strengthen strategic defence relations with Saudi Arabia, with mutual support to push for world peace, especially in the region."
Through a partnership, Saudi Arabia can help Indonesia develop its defence sector.
In exchange for Subianto's trip to Riyadh in March of last year, Prince Khalid paid a visit.
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According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, it was also a "historic moment" and Subianto had "expressed his confidence that Saudi Arabia will actualize its Vision 2030 and hoped that Indonesia's defence industry can be part of that vision."
Members of the Saudi delegation that was travelling with Prince Khalid were shown the portfolios of several Indonesian businesses, including the state-owned aerospace company Dirgantara and the arms manufacturer Pindad.
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To further strengthen their cooperation in defence education, the defence chiefs of the two nations have also agreed to increase student exchanges between their military schools