RI, M'SIA TO STAGE JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE AGAIN

Jakarta, Jan 26 (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Malaysia will again conduct a joint military exercise to boost cooperation between and professionalism of the two countries' soldiers, General Djoko Santoso said here on Tuesday.

"We have talked and discussed the preparations for it," he confirmed to ANTARA after a military (TNI) leadership meeting.

He said the exercise would be done in West Kalimantan involving the army, the navy as well as the air force.

The plan was confirmed in the meeting between General Djoko Santoso and Malaysian armed forces commander General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail bin Haji Jamaluddin during the latter's visit here on January 20 to 22.

The exercise would be the seventh held five yearly in turn by the two countries since 1981 under the Malindo Darsasa program.

The Malindo Darsasa joint exercise program is the realization of a policy made by the joint chairmen of the Malindo General Border Committee held by the two countries's defense ministers.

The exercise is the peak of earlier joint exercises held by the two countries' armies and police forces.