Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia seek to boost security ties at 1st trilateral defense ministers’ meeting

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia moved to strengthen security ties during their first-ever trilateral defense ministers’ meeting.

Papua New Guinea’s Defense Minister Billy Joseph hosted Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

The three ministers “welcomed the development of the trilateral partnership, built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a collective vision for a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” said a joint statement released by the Australian government.

The ministers discussed defense and security cooperation between the three nations and “noted the breadth of military engagement between three close neighbors.”

They also “explored opportunities to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and aviation best practice.”

The three defense chiefs also agreed to hold their trilateral defense ministers’ meeting annually, with Indonesia agreeing to host the forum in 2026.