Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wowed to strengthen relationship with close neighbour Indonesia, pledging stronger cooperation on trade, security and climate change during his first bilateral visit on June 6.
Stressing the importance of engaging with Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which is on track to be one of the world’s five largest economies, Albanese also announced to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Bali in November.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell, Industry Minister Ed Husic and Luke Gosling, who represents Darwin along a high-profile business delegation, also accompanied the Prime Minister to Indonesia for the Indonesia-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting .
“Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is one of our most important as we’re linked not just by geography, but we are linked by choice”, Albanese said at a joint press meet with President Joko Widodo.
During the Indonesia-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Bogor, both leaders addressed the urgent challenge of climate change, including the need to accelerate clean energy transition while maintaining and enhancing energy security.
Prime Minister Albanese affirmed Australia’s new commitment to a $200 million climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia
“Australia affirmed its strong support for Indonesia’s infrastructure agenda and offered a support package for the planning and development of the new Indonesian capital city, Nusantara, including the facilitation of technical and regulatory advice to support Indonesia’s ambition to plan a clean, green, hi-tech city”, read the joint statement issued after the summit.
Prime Minister Albanese also announced ten prestigious “recover together, recover stronger” scholarships for Indonesians to complete Masters or PhDs in Australia in areas of research that support Indonesia’s G20 priorities.
Indonesia and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN and its centrality and their commitment to the implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Comprehaensive Strategic Partnership. Prime Minister Albanese expressed his support for Indonesia’s upcoming role as ASEAN Chair in 2023
Both sides reiterated their strong support for the ASEAN-led efforts to chart a course out of the crisis in Myanmar and urged the Myanmar military to engage meaningfully with ASEAN to urgently implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus.
They called on the Myanmar military to cease violence; engage in dialogue; release those arbitrarily detained; and allow unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance.
Indonesia and Australia also underscored their shared concern about the deteriorating security, economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
The two leaders also discussed issues of global food security, bilateral defence cooperation and 8th Bali Process Ministerial Meeting to be held later in the year.
