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JAKARTA, April 13 (Reuters) – Indonesia and the United States are discussing a proposal to give U.S. military aircraft access over Indonesian airspace, Indonesia’s defence ministry said on Monday, adding that no deal has yet been reached.
The U.S. is seeking “blanket overnight access” for American military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, several media outlets reported on Sunday, adding that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had approved the proposal.
Responding to the reports, the defence ministry said in a statement that the two countries are still discussing the “Letter of Intent”, and that there is only a preliminary draft that is being discussed internally. The draft is neither final nor binding, the ministry added.
Control over Indonesian airspace belongs to Indonesia, the ministry said, adding that deals with other countries will protect Indonesia’s sovereignty and adhere to Indonesian law.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to meet with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin later on Monday, according to an advisory released by the U.S. government.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Stanley Widianto; Editing by David Stanway)
