Canada’s defence pact with Indonesia a modest but necessary first step in the Indo-Pacific

The recently-signed memorandum of understanding between the two nations should be a first step on a longer journey, and not a box-ticking exercise that fades into irrelevance.

For Ottawa, Indonesia offers both tantalizing opportunities and significant challenges. Sustained engagement here is less about hard alliances and more about building trust, interoperability, and earning political capital.Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

BY JONATHAN BERKSHIRE MILLER

August 27, 2025

Much of Ottawa’s strategic gaze today is fixed on Europe and the United States, supporting Ukraine, meeting NATO benchmarks, and preparing for more turbulence with the Trump administration. These priorities are understandable, but they also risk crowding out Canada’s att...

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