Jakarta, April 14 -- Indonesia and the United States have agreed to elevate their defense ties to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) to strengthen cooperation for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The partnership was formalized during a meeting between Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Washington, on Monday.

"The two leaders agreed to elevate the US-Indonesia bilateral defense relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement received on Tuesday.

The partnership includes three pillars based on national sovereignty and mutual respect.

These cover military modernization and capacity...