PNN – The Ministry of Defense of Indonesia denied news of an agreement with the United States for free passage through the country’s airspace, emphasizing that control of this space is entirely in the hands of the Jakarta government.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Anatara NTB news agency quoted Rico Ricardo Sirait, head of the Defense Intelligence Office of the Secretariat General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, as saying in an official statement on Monday: Authority, control, and surveillance of Indonesian airspace are fully vested in the government of the country.
He made the remarks in response to reports of an agreement between Jakarta and Washington that allegedly granted the United States full freedom of passage over Indonesian airspace.
Sirat rejected the claims, stressing that any defense cooperation with other countries would only be implemented if it was in Indonesia’s national interest and in line with domestic laws and international regulations.
According to him, the Indonesian government has the authority to reject any cooperation plan if it conflicts with national interests and maintains full control over its sovereign territory.
The defense official also noted that the published document on a possible agreement with the United States is still an early draft and is undergoing internal and inter-agency reviews.
He added: This document is not a final agreement, is not legally binding and cannot be the basis for official government policy.
The Indonesian Ministry of Defense urged the public not to be influenced by the information released; stressing that all defense cooperation in the country is based on the principles of mutual respect, trust and common interests.
According to published information, the draft includes provisions on issuing flight permits within the framework of emergency operations, crisis management, and joint training between Indonesia and the United States, but a final decision has not yet been made.