The Australian government is seeking “clarification” following reports Russia has lodged a request to base long-range aircraft in Indonesia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.
US military website Janes reported today that Russia had officially requested to base aircraft on the Indonesian province of Papua, which is just 1300km away from Darwin on Australia’s mainland.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly seeking to base the aircraft at the Manuhua Air Force Base at Biak Numfor in Papua.
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“What we’re seeking is proper clarification, that’s the way you deal with international relations, making sure you’re not flying from the hip,” Albanese said.
9News understands Australian officials have spoken with their Indonesian counterparts and are confident the Russian proposal will not proceed.
Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed earlier that Indonesia has not yet responded to Russia.
“We have a very close relationship with Indonesia and we have a growing defence relationship with Indonesia, we have already been engaged with [Indonesia] on this request,” Marles said.
“At this point, Indonesia has not responded to this request.
“We will continue to engage with Indonesia in a way that befits this friendship.”
Marles said Australia is in contact with Indonesia’s defence ministry on a “senior level”.
“We have seen increasing cooperation with Australia and Indonesia at a defence level and I expect all that to continue,” he added.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton labelled the Russian request as a “catastrophic failure of diplomatic relations” if the PM wasn’t aware of it until today.
“We need to make sure that the government explains exactly what has happened here,” Dutton told media.
“Did the prime minister know about this before it was publicly announced by the president of Indonesia, and what is the government’s response to it?
“The prime minister and the foreign affairs minister should have this depth of relationship with Indonesia to have had forewarning of this.”
Dutton described Putin as a “murderous dictator”.
“We don’t welcome his presence in our neighbourhood at all,” Dutton added.
“It is deeply destabilising.”
Janes reported the Indonesian Ministry of Defence is in “consultation with policymakers from other government departments” over how to deal with the request.
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It comes after Russian official Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, travelled to Jakarta in February this year to meet with Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson David Coleman said in a statement the reports were “deeply concerning”.
”The basing of Russian aircraft in Indonesia would be highly destabilising to the security of the Indo-Pacific region,” Coleman told The Sydney Morning Herald.
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