Indonesia and Britain sign defense agreement

Indonesia and Britain sign defense agreement

Fri, November 2 2012 07:48 | 201 Views

London (ANTARA News) - Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and his British counterpart Philip Hammond have signed a memorandum of understanding on defense.

The ceremony taking place at the Downing Street no 10, London, on Thursday was witnessed by Prime Minister David Cameron and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

A release issued after the ceremony said the MoU serves as an umbrella for the promotion of defense cooperation between the two countries.

"The memo of understanding is a signal of the spirit of both side to expand cooperation between Britain and Indonesia in the future," the statement said.

Cooperation between Indonesia and Britain began in 1997 when the two countries pledged to create a closer cooperation.

The visit to Indonesia of Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2006 strengthened the cooperation.

In 2007, Britain placed Indonesia in top priority in its foreign policy especially in defense cooperation with ASEAN.

ENDS

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