Jakarta (ANTARA) – 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 building; training and professional military education; and exercises and operational cooperation.Parnell said the two leaders were committed to expanding the scope and complexity of bilateral and multilateral exercises, including Super Garuda Shield.The move aims to strengthen collective capabilities and promote peace.”The leaders reaffirmed the vital and growing defense relationship and discussed shared goals, including increasing special forces training and professional military education,” he added.Hegseth also commended Indonesia for its participation in the Board of Peace (BoP) and its leading role in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza, Parnell said.The partnership reflects decades of bilateral defense cooperation, with both countries recognizing each other as key partners.Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and shared interests in regional peace and stability, according to the Pentagon.