Indonesia-Soviet Union Strategic Cooperation in 1956-1965

The independence of Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed on 17 August 1945. However, it was not until 29 December 1949, as the result of the Round Table Conference or Konferensi Meja Bundar (KMB) that the Netherlands transfer the sovereignty to Republic of Indonesia. The Konferensi Meja Bundar created one problem with regard the status of West Irian which the Netherlands refused to cede it to Indonesia. Indonesia had to undergo a long and tiring struggle in its campaign to claim the territory. At the end of 1950s, after feeling exhausted with its attempts to gain West Irian through direct bilateral negotiations as well as through the United Nations mechanism, Indonesia decided to prepare for military confrontation against the Netherlands. The situation forced Indonesia to approach the Soviet Union for procuring their armaments needed after the refusal from the United States to do so. The United States was afraid that the armaments would be used by Indonesia to stage military incursion against the Netherlands which was its ally. The Soviet Union gave Indonesia warm welcome and agreed to provide Indonesia with any armaments needed. The Soviet military-technical assistance was so substantial that it enabled the Indonesian military to achieve a major qualitative and a quantitative leap in less than eight years. the Indonesian Navy became the second most potent regional force in the Pacific, falling only behind China.