(AseanAll)  — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia held the inaugural Indonesia-Australia Maritime Dialogue in Jakarta on December 11, 2025.

The Indonesia-Australia Maritime Dialogue follows up on the commitment of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, at the Annual Leaders’ Meeting in May 2025 to strengthen maritime cooperation.

The Maritime Dialogue was officially opened by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Arif Havas Oegroseno, who emphasized the importance of establishing a regional mechanism for protecting the marine environment and maintaining the relevance of international maritime law in maritime governance.

The Maritime Dialogue was co-chaired by Acep Somantri, Acting Expert Staff to the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, and Michelle Chan, Deputy Secretary for South and Southeast Asia, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

A number of maritime issues were discussed at the meeting, including the marine environment and the blue economy, the law of the sea, and maritime security and safety. Both sides agreed to work together to enhance maritime domain awareness and information exchange, and agreed on several new areas of cooperation of mutual concern.

The Indonesia-Australia Maritime Dialogue is a new, regular bilateral mechanism involving all maritime-related institutions from both countries and strengthening the existing maritime cooperation framework.

The development of maritime cooperation between these two key countries in the Indo-Pacific region is expected to reinforce the importance of the marine environment as an economic resource, a connectivity route, and a future asset for the people of both countries. The next Indonesia-Australia Maritime Dialogue will be held in Australia in 2026.