Jakarta, April 13 -- Indonesia's Defense Ministry dismissed claims that the United States has unrestricted access to the country's airspace, affirming that it remains under full national control.

"The ministry affirms that authority, control, and monitoring over Indonesian airspace rest entirely with the Indonesian government," Defense Ministry official Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a statement on Monday.

He made the statement in response to reports of a draft agreement between Indonesia and the United States suggesting US aircraft would have full access to Indonesian airspace.

Sirait said any defense cooperation plan with other countries is carefully assessed and must benefit Indonesia.

Such arrangements must prioritize national intere...