Japan, Indonesia and Australia defense chiefs hold first-ever trilateral talks

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Indonesian defense chief Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin leave following their meeting in Jakarta in May. | REUTERS

Aug 26, 2026

The defense chiefs of Japan, Australia and Indonesia held their first-ever trilateral talks Wednesday, just weeks after an agreement by Jakarta and Beijing to boost military ties following joint naval drills east of Taiwan.

In the phone talks between Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Indonesian defense chief Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the three agreed to promote both bilateral and trilateral defense cooperation, according to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.

“The three ministers exchanged views on the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region and, taking a broad view of the entire Indo-Pacific, agreed to work together to contribute to regional and global peace and stability through trilateral cooperation,” the ministry said in a readout of the meeting.

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