September 4, 2026 | 06:11 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and Qatar are discussing a new framework for defense cooperation as Jakarta prepares for Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to visit the Gulf state.
Sjafrie met Qatar's Ambassador to Indonesia Sultan Bin Mubarak Saad Al-Dosari at the Defense Ministry in Jakarta on Friday, September 4. The meeting included discussions on an official letter from the Qatari government and plans for Sjafrie's working visit to Qatar.
"The meeting discussed follow-up communication and Indonesia-Qatar defense cooperation, including the delivery of an official letter from the Qatari government and plans for a working visit by the Indonesian defense minister to Qatar," Sjafrie said.
He did not disclose the purpose of the planned visit or which specific defense issues would be discussed.
Moving Toward a Defense Agreement
The planned visit comes as the two countries work toward formalizing their military ties.
In June, Sjafrie met Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani in Jakarta. They discussed military education and training, joint exercises, personnel exchanges and defense human resources development.
Indonesia and Qatar also signed a Statement of Intent on Defense Cooperation, which Indonesia's Defense Ministry described as a step toward a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA).
Later that month, Sjafrie met Al-Dosari again to discuss establishing a Joint Committee or Working Group and preparing a memorandum of understanding or DCA. The Qatari ambassador also conveyed an invitation from Qatar's defense minister for Sjafrie to visit Qatar.
Defense Industry Ties
The talks have also moved beyond military exchanges into defense manufacturing.
In June, Indonesian defense company Republikorp and Qatar's Barzan Holdings signed a joint venture agreement covering the development of defense production capabilities, including firearms, unmanned surface vessels, mini-submarines and other defense technologies.
The deal followed Sjafrie's visit to Qatar in April 2025, where the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in areas including defense technology and military exchanges.
Indonesia and Qatar have also broadened their relationship through a strategic dialogue framework established in April 2025. The framework covers defense and security alongside political, economic and regional issues.
Sjafrie's planned trip to Qatar now puts the focus on whether the two sides can turn the recent agreements and discussions into a more formal defense partnership.
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