Thailand and Indonesia announce strategic partnership, vow to boost economic and defense ties

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BANGKOK (AP) — Indonesia and Thailand agreed Monday to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership, during the first state visit by an Indonesian president in 20 years and agreed to push for greater trade and investment.

President Prabowo Subianto, who took power last year, was welcomed by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in intermittent rain at Government House in Bangkok. As is traditional, the two leaders reviewed an honor guard before heading inside to hold bilateral talks on the future shape of their relationship.

Subianto’s visit also coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Paetongtarn said that the two countries agreed to boost cooperation in various fields including trade and investment, tourism, and food security.

The decision to elevate the two countries’ relations to strategic partnership “reflects our shared commitment to strengthen cooperation in several aspects on issues of mutual interest to the people of both countries,” Paetongtarn said in a statement.

They also discussed defense and security issues, which include “enhancing maritime security collaboration, strengthening counterterrorism efforts, bolstering cybersecurity cooperation, increasing joint military exercises and fostering defense industry partnerships,” Subianto said in his speech.

Paetongtarn said Thai and Indonesian police will strengthen cooperation in suppressing transnational crimes, especially online scams, human trafficking and drug trafficking.

Dozens of Indonesians earlier this year were freed from scam centers in Myanmar and repatriated through Thailand, in part of a large-scale regional crackdown effort. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been lured to work in the region to commit global scams through false romances, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. Many of the workers were recruited under false pretenses, only to find themselves trapped in virtual slavery.

Ministers from both countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation in a number of fields including prevention and control of communicable diseases and medical tourism.

They also discussed the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, and Subianto praised Thailand’s constructive role, especially in engaging neighboring countries to seek a peaceful solution in Myanmar and facilitating dialogue between all parties.

“We emphasized the importance of an inclusive national dialogue that can achieve peace and stability in Myanmar,” Subianto said, “We also emphasized the importance of maintaining the unity and centrality of ASEAN.”

The crisis in Myanmar has emerged as one of the bloc’s biggest challenges since a military coup ousted an elected civilian government in February 2021, plunging the country into conflict. It has sparked an armed resistance movement, with rebel forces now controlling large parts of the country. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, and displaced millions.

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Associated Press journalists Jerry Harmer in Bangkok and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.