Jakarta ( WNAM MONITORING ): Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) General Agus Subiyanto emphasized that the TNI remains committed to fostering and maintaining partnerships with foreign defense forces to anticipate geopolitical challenges amid rising global tensions.
“We will continue military diplomacy with commanders from various nations, either by visiting their countries or hosting them here in Indonesia,” he said after a meeting with Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR).
Speaking to the media at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Wednesday, Subiyanto noted that the TNI had engaged foreign counterparts in joint military exercises and personnel exchanges for training.
He added that the Indonesian military has established educational cooperation with at least 26 countries, enabling it to send soldiers—starting from the rank of captain—for overseas training and education.
Moreover, military institutions from several Southeast Asian and Asia-Pacific countries have also sent their personnel to Indonesia for education and training, he noted.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed the commander’s remarks, stating that the government supports the TNI in strengthening the Army, Navy, and Air Force in response to increasingly alarming global security conditions.
He reiterated that Indonesia’s international stance aligns with the proverb: “A thousand friends are too few, but even one enemy is too many.”
Highlighting Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy, he stressed that the country remains committed to avoiding involvement in armed conflicts.
Referring to Israel’s acts of aggression in Gaza, Palestine, the minister asserted that Indonesia’s neutrality does not prevent it from condemning humanitarian crises abroad.
He emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto has called on all nations to refrain from using force and prioritize diplomacy in resolving conflicts.
