WASHINGTON -- Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby provided the following readout:  Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto on the phone today to reaffirm the importance of the bilateral defense relationship. Minister Prabowo congratulated Secretary Austin on his appointment as Secretary of Defense, and Secretary Austin expressed his condolences for the recent terrorist attacks in Makassar and Jakarta.

Secretary Austin and Minister Prabowo discussed the regional security environment, including the challenging situation in the South China Sea, as well as bilateral defense cooperation.

Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of further developing defense relations between the two countries and highlighted the capstone Army-to-Army exercise, Garuda Shield, scheduled to take place in August as an opportunity to build greater interoperability between our armed forces.