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Albanese arrived in the capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday evening,
a day after his new government was sworn in to a second
three-year term following an emphatic election victory May 3.
“I am here in Indonesia because no relationship is more
important to Australia than this one,” Albanese said in a joint
press statement with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto after
a meeting,
Albanese did not comment on media reports that Russia had told
Indonesia it wants to base its long-range warplanes in Papua,
the most eastern Indonesian province, a plan that was raised as
a security issue during the Australian election campaign.
Indonesia has told Australia that no such Russian base would be
allowed.
“This is the fastest growing region of the world in human
history and Indonesia is central to that growth,” Albanese said,
adding that Indonesia is projected to be the fifth largest
economy by the end of the next decade.
Subianto praised Australia's support for Indonesia to become
member of The Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Newly elected Australian prime ministers typically make their
first bilateral visit to Asia, usually Indonesia.
In his first visit to Indonesia after his inauguration in 2022,
Albanese also visited Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi
province with close ties to Indigenous Australians.
Given their geographical proximity, Indonesia and Australia have
traditionally maintained close ties with each other, including
in matters of security and defense, despite the fact that each
country has chosen to respond differently to the rivalry between
the U.S. and China in the region.
The two neighbors last year signed a historic Defense
Cooperation Agreement, or DCA, that will allow more complex
joint activities and exercises. Canberra hailed the agreement as
the “deepest and most significant” defense deal in the two
countries’ bilateral ties.
“This is how we can build our shared prosperity and advance our
national and regional security,” Albanese said, “This
treaty-level agreement, underpinned by the Lombok Treaty, will
enable new cooperation in maritime security, counterterrorism,
as well as humanitarian and disaster relief.”
Albanese will head on to Rome on Friday morning to attend the
inauguration of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday.
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