WASHINGTON, United States, April 14, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday a "major" defense partnership with Indonesia following a meeting with the Southeast Asian nation's defense minister at the Pentagon.

"We are elevating our relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership, in recognition of the strength and potential of our bilateral defense ties," Hegseth said in a statement on X.

The partnership covers "military modernization and capacity building," "training and professional military education" and "exercises and operational cooperation," according to a joint statement.

"Both nations reaffirm their shared commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific," the statement said.

Jakarta said the partnership was an "opportunity to reinforce national defense capacity," but insisted that "free and active foreign policy, national interests, and full respect for state sovereignty" would be maintained.

It said that a US proposal to grant American military aircraft access over Indonesian airspace was being "carefully reviewed".

"It still requires further discussion through technical mechanisms and applicable national procedures," the Indonesian Ministry of Defense statement added.

Indonesia has the strongest military in Southeast Asia, according to the Global Firepower defense analysis site.

While Jakarta says it maintains a non-aligned diplomatic posture, last year it joined the BRICS bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia and China.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday for oil talks.

But Prabowo has also signed a trade deal with US President Donald Trump and joined his so-called "Board of Peace".

The country is strategically located on the Malacca Strait -- the world's busiest chokepoint for oil and petroleum liquids, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).