Albanese meets Indonesia counterpart in first international visit since re-election
[JAKARTA] Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on defence cooperation and global trade on Thursday (May 15), describing Jakarta as an 'indispensable partner' on his first international visit since his re-election.
Albanese, sworn into office on Tuesday after his centre-left Labor party won an increased majority in parliament, said his visit showed the priority Canberra placed on defence and economic ties with Jakarta.
'Indonesia is an indispensable partner for Australia,' he said in opening remarks, meeting with Prabowo and ministers at the Presidential Palace.
Prabowo said the talks were an opportunity to 'strengthen our engagement and our cooperation in bilateral, regional and even in the global context,' describing relations as 'strong'.
Albanese was welcomed to the palace by dozens of soldiers on horseback, around 3,000 schoolchildren waving flags, and a military ceremony, according to the president's office.
Earlier, Albanese told reporters that Australia wanted to strengthen defence ties and build on the economic partnership with greater investment.
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A surprise informal meeting with Prabowo on Wednesday evening ahead of official talks showed the depth of the relationship, he said.
Australia struck a defence cooperation treaty with Indonesia last year, and was hosting defence and maritime security training for Indonesian forces, Albanese said.
Indonesia dismissed reports last month that Russia had requested to base military aircraft in the archipelago's easternmost province of Papua, about 1,200 km north of the Australian city of Darwin, where a US Marine Corps rotational force is based for six months of the year.
'Indonesia's answer is no, they've made it very clear,' Albanese told reporters earlier on Thursday when asked about the matter, which had drawn attention during Australia's election campaign.
Russia will try to increase its influence in the region and Australia is responding by building ties with neighbours including Indonesia, Albanese added.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst for defence, Euan Graham, said the Australia-Indonesia relationship has 'avoided serious crisis for more than a decade, cooperation continues to move forward incrementally and there is greater stability than before'.
Yet wide differences remain, he added.
'Jakarta sees China and Russia as vectors of opportunity more than threats, and views the US and China primarily through the same lens of great power rivalry. That's largely at odds with Canberra's world view,' Graham said.
Albanese said the two leaders will also discuss global trade.
Indonesia is projected to be the fifth largest economy in the world by the end of the next decade.
Australia wants to increase economic ties with South-east Asia, as it seeks to diversify export markets to reduce reliance on China, and in response to trade uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump's tariffs. REUTERS
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