National

Scant detail on Australia and Indonesia's security deal

Nov 13, 2025

Talisman Sabre — The foreign minister says she won't engage in hypothesis about the security deal with Indonesia. -AAP Image

Australia and Indonesia will pledge to potentially helping each other in the face of a security threat, but details of the landmark agreement remain under diplomatic camouflage.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Alongside the Indonesian president, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday said the treaty marked a "new era" in the relationship between the two neighbours.

He said the deal commits the nations to consult regularly at the highest levels on matters of security, and consider possible measures should either's security be threatened.

"It is a significant extension of existing security and defence cooperation," the prime minister told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong was scant with details on the types of scenarios that could trigger Australia into action under the deal.

"I'm not going to go through what might happen here or there, in terms of hypotheticals or specifics," the minister said on Nine's Today program.

"Fundamentally, we've got to have good relations with our neighbours. That helps keep Australia secure."

She kept her answers vague when pressed for further details, telling ABC TV the world is "seeing more contest and more competition".

"We know that great powers are changing how they operate in our region and in the world, so what do we do with that?" Senator Wong said.

Mr Albanese visited Indonesia in May for his first international visit since re-election, where he told Mr Prabowo he wanted to strengthen the Defence Cooperation Agreement the nations signed in 2024.

Negotiations continued between the neighbours and concluded during the Indonesian president's whirlwind visit to Sydney on Wednesday.

Mr Prabowo met with former prime minister Paul Keating shortly after the announcement.

The agreement closely matches the high-water mark of the former sweeping security treaty signed by Mr Keating and Mr Prabowo's former father-in-law in 1995.

It also comes off the back of the PukPuk treaty Australia signed with Papua New Guinea in October that ensures mutual defence between the Australian Defence Force and PNG military.

While making the announcement, the Indonesian president said "when we face an emergency, it is our neighbour that will help us".

"Our neighbours are the closest and only good neighbours will help each other," Mr Prabowo said.

Mr Albanese is scheduled to formally sign the new treaty when he visits Jakarta in January.