REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia and the Philippines have agreed to enhance defense cooperation. The eradication of terrorism, by involving ground, sea, and air forces included in the cooperation.

"We have successfully carried out cooperation in eradicating terrorism by sea and air, and in future, we want similar cooperation on land," Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu remarked in Manila, the Philippines, on Friday.

At a meeting with his Philippine counterpart Delfin N Lorenzana, Ryacudu noted that the defense cooperation between the two countries, includes the eradication of terrorists, had gone well. The two parties wanted this cooperation to be more evident in its implementation on the field.

"It is because the problem of terrorism is not only a matter of (concern for) Indonesia and the Philippines but also for all countries in the region," he noted.

Hence, the two countries need to be more concrete in taking this partnership forward in a sustainable manner. Moreover, terrorism is not a problem that is going to last only a year or two," the former Indonesian Army chief of staff noted.

In the meantime, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin N. Lorenzana stated that terrorism was a crime that transcended the country's borders. Therefore, the two countries must establish cooperation to overcome the problem.

"Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries in the region face diverse security challenges and threats, including terrorism," Lorenzana noted.

According to Lorenzana, the implementation of the defense and security cooperation between the Republic of Indonesia and the Philippines was a form of commitment to realize security and stability for the two countries and the region. He emphasized that defense cooperation between the two countries must continue to be intensified through various platforms, such as dialogue and information exchange.

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