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SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said Singapore has made a proposal to Indonesia on how both countries can move forward on the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) and it is now awaiting a response from Jakarta.
Some Indonesian law-makers have rejected the agreement even before it is to be ratified in Parliament.
Speaking to the Singapore media ahead of Singapore Armed Forces Day on 1 July, Mr Teo said it is a process that the Indonesians have to go through.
He also explained that what is contained in the DCA are existing arrangements that go back some two decades.
The DCA involves four items known as Implementation Arrangements (IAs).
Only one IA was agreed on and signed by both countries.
Mr Teo said: "We agreed to the three remaining IAs, which were supposed to be signed on 7 May, for logistical and administrative reasons. The Indonesians asked for some substantive changes to the four IAs before the signing on 7 May and because it was a finely balanced package and these changes would be substantive, we were not able to agree to that."
Nonetheless, Minister Teo said Singapore has made proposals on specific points regarding the matter and is awaiting a reply from the Indonesians.
He added that the DCA and IAs, which are mutually beneficial, would allow decades of past cooperation to continue.
Past arrangements have allowed pilots from both countries to train together using Singapore facilities.
Mr Teo said: "Some 250 TNI, fighter and helicopter pilots in the last 10 years have trained using our simulators in Singapore. These simulators include Super Puma simulators and our high G tolerance simulators for fighter pilots – an essential part of training for pilots."
Close cooperation has also allowed both countries to work together in times of need as it is easy to establish critical emergency needs with high-level military links.
This was highlighted in the 2004 tsunami relief operations in Aceh.
- CNA/so
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