IP25109
Author: Alexander Raymond Arifianto
Published: 25 November 2025
On 12 November 2025, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the governments of Australia and Indonesia were about to conclude a new bilateral security treaty which would transform the two nations’ long-term partnership. The announcement was made alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was in Australia on a state visit.
The new treaty is not a formal alliance between the two nations as it does not require both nations to assist in each other’s defence in the event either of them faces an attack from an external adversary. Such an alliance would violate Indonesia’s long-standing “free and active” (bebas aktif) foreign policy principle, which prohibits Indonesia from being a party to a formal security alliance with any nation – regardless of whether the latter is a great power, rising power or a middle power like Australia.
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The article was published by RSIS.
The Romanian Institute for Europe-Asia Studies (IRSEA) and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU have agreed to enter into an informal agreement on republishing their studies and analysis.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA.