Nigeria and Republic of Indonesia on Thursday resolved to explore new templates to consolidate the military training and manpower development through the exchange programmes.
The two countries are also review and refocus their bilateral military ties towards mutually beneficial defence goals.
Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd) and the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Usra Hendra Harahap, met on Thursday at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Abuja with the Nigerian Minister stating that the imperative of revising the existing cooperation between both countries which dates back to 1965.
The Ambassador had in August last year during his country’s 74th Independence anniversary and flag hoisting of the Republic of Indonesia in Abuja that his posting to Nigeria as well as that of a Defence Attache is an indication of Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening the existing decades-long relations in bilateral and military cooperation between the two countries.
“I have a military background. My posting to Nigeria is to consolidate on the existing military cooperation between the two nations. We also have a Defence Attache. It is through the DA that a lot of military cooperation will be discussed.
“Military cooperation was one of the issues I discussed with President Buhari when I submitted my letter of credential. We have to strengthen cooperation in training, knowledge-sharing, reciprocal exchange and military equipment,” he explained.
The Nigerian Minister said that the four-man delegation had interfaced with the Permanent Secretary, Sabiu Zakari and the Director Joint Services Department, Mrs Olu Mustapha.
On his part, the Indonesian Ambassador, a retired Air Vice Marshal, commended the Minister for providing the needed leadership for the nations Armed Forces based on his exploit and experience as a retired senior military officer.
Harahap said that their military backgrounds made the interface to be smooth and seamless in identifying new areas of defence cooperations between the two countries.
He added that his posting to Nigeria was to deepen bilateral military cooperation with Nigeria, which he said the meeting had achieved.
“Nigeria and Indonesia are two major regional powers that share many commonalities especially in the trajectories of military reforms and education,” he said.
