Russia responds to Indonesia air base claims, slams AUKUS
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The news: Russia’s envoy to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov has defended its military ties with Jakarta but did not deny claims that it sought to base military aircraft out of its Manuhua base in Papua.
The context: According to media reports, the ambassador said that military cooperation was an "integral part of the intergovernmental relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Indonesia."
He did not confirm nor deny the media report from Janes earlier this week which claimed that multiple Indonesian government sources confirmed Moscow's intent to base several long-range aircraft at the facility.
"Interaction between the armed forces of Russia and Indonesia encompasses various areas, including cooperation between the air forces," Tolchenov said.
"Such cooperation is aimed at strengthening the defensive capabilities of both sides, is not aimed against any third countries, and poses no threat to security in the Asia-Pacific region."
The ambassador also took the opportunity to criticise Australia, saying that on the question of regional stability, challenges “are more likely to arise from the rotational deployment of large military contingents from extra-regional states on Australian territory, including the provision of airfields for the landing of strategic bombers and port infrastructure for visits by nuclear-powered submarines.”
“Particularly alarming” the envoy said, are Australia’s plans to deploy US intermediate-range missiles which would put ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, within its range. Tolchenov also referred to the Royal Australian Navy purchase of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement.
“The latter raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of established nuclear-weapon-free zones in the Asia-Pacific region, such as the South Pacific Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Treaty of Rarotonga) and the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (the Bangkok Treaty).”
The sources: The Australian, ABC, Capital Brief
