Indonesia, Australia strengthen counter-terrorism collaboration

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism through stronger early detection and mitigation measures agreed at the 11th Indonesia-Australia Bilateral Consultation on Counter-Terrorism.

The meeting, held on Thursday, September 17, provided a platform to strengthen regional security, refine bilateral programs and address increasingly complex terrorist threats.

"We continue to prioritize tracking, mitigation and early detection to ensure more robust counter-terrorism measures," Indonesia's National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Head Eddy Hartono said in Jakarta on Friday, September 18.

He said the longstanding partnership had produced tangible results, including implementation of Indonesia's National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism that Leads to Terrorism (RAN PE).

The cooperation is governed by a broader memorandum of understanding (MoU) facilitated by the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice, supporting joint RAN PE efforts over the next five years, he said.

Recent milestones under the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice Phase Three (AIPJ3) include Australian support for implementing the second phase of RAN PE 2026–2029 across Indonesia's regions.

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Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism Gemma Huggins stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation in maintaining regional stability amid shifting and increasingly complex threats.

"Although the terrorism landscape has changed significantly over the past two decades, the threat remains, as does our need to work together for the security of both our nations," Huggins said.

She cited shared challenges requiring operational cooperation, including online radicalization, extremist narratives targeting youth, terrorists' use of emerging technologies, and repatriating and reintegrating foreign terrorist fighters and their families.

These challenges further strengthen the partnership, built on shared experiences, operational cooperation and a commitment to protecting the public from terrorism and violent extremism, she said.

Joint initiatives involving Australia's Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) have strengthened intelligence training and countered online radicalization on Indonesian gaming platforms since 2025.

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Translator: Agatha Victoria, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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