REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia and Australia, in a first-ever such initiative, discussed security issues this year-end here on Monday.
"We discussed issues such as counter-terrorism, cyber security and intelligence cooperation," Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan, said at a press conference following a meeting with Australian Attorney General George Brandis.
Also present at the meeting were Indonesian National Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti, Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Sutiyoso, Head of the National Counter-Terrorism Board (BNPT) Saud Usman Nasution, Head of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) Muhammad Yusuf, and Head of the Strategic Intelligence Board (BAIS) Major General M Erwin Syafitri.
"This is the first-ever and most complete meeting, and similar meetings will be held regularly. Next year, we will be invited to such a meeting in Australia," Luhut said.
Brandis said at the meeting, both sides discussed security cooperation between Indonesia and Australia.
"We are strengthening the relations between the two nations to jointly fight terrorism, for instance, the attacks being made by the ISIS. We also discussed intelligence cooperation," Brandis said.
Haiti said the police have just arrested nine suspected terrorists in the five districts of Cilacap, Tasikmalaya, Sukoharjo, Mojokerto and Gresik.
"Some of them are former members of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and are linked to the ISIS," he said.