Indonesia has assured Australia that no Russian military aircraft will be stationed at an airbase in its Papua province, dismissing recent reports as false, according to Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed on Wednesday that Indonesia has provided clear assurances denying any intention to host Russian military aircraft at an airbase in its easternmost province of Papua.
Marles said he spoke directly with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who rejected a recent report suggesting Russia had lodged a request to deploy long-range warplanes at Manuhua Air Force Base, located in Biak Numfor, roughly 1,300 kilometres from the Australian city of Darwin.
The matter gained political attention after Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton raised the issue during an election campaign, claiming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had been informed of the situation. Dutton’s remarks followed a report by the defence publication Janes, which alleged that Russia sought to station aircraft at the site.
Marles firmly dismissed both the report and Dutton’s claims, stating that Indonesia had made it “utterly clear” such reports were “completely false” and the country had “no intention” of hosting Russian aircraft. He also criticised Dutton for suggesting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had publicly confirmed Russia's request, calling it “completely wrong.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov met with President Prabowo in Jakarta to discuss trade relations, including progress on a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said they hoped to finalise the agreement by the time of Prabowo’s expected visit to Russia for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled for 18–21 June.
World leaders have expressed condolences and solidarity after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bond...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of December, covering the latest developments you need to...
Thailand has stopped fuel shipments passing through its border with Laos over fears they were being diverted to Cambodia, as fierce fighting between t...
Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director-producer Rob Reiner, with law enforcement treating the deaths as an apparent homi...
Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday found pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and t...
Around 20 people have died after a major fire tore through a seven-storey office building in Indonesia capital Jakarta on Tuesday.
Indonesia's military stepped up its relief efforts in three provinces on Sumatra island that have been devastated by deadly floods and landslides, and the country's vice president apologised for shortcomings in the response to last week's disaster.
Faced with mounting public outrage following one of the deadliest environmental disasters in the nation’s recent history, the Indonesian government has pledged to investigate and potentially shut down mining operations found to have contributed to the catastrophic flooding on Sumatra.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.
World leaders have expressed condolences and solidarity after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Thailand has stopped fuel shipments passing through its border with Laos over fears they were being diverted to Cambodia, as fierce fighting between the two neighbours shows no sign of easing.
Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director-producer Rob Reiner, with law enforcement treating the deaths as an apparent homicide, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said on Sunday (14 December).
Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday found pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material under a China-imposed national security law, a ruling that could see the 78-year-old jailed for life.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment