Australian leader’s visit affirms deeper ties to Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday looked to move beyond regional issues that have been key in his trips abroad by promoting the importance of building stronger economic ties with neighboring Indonesia. After meeting with Widodo, Albanese said in a joint news conference that Indonesia, Australia’s closest major neighbor, is on track to be one of the world’s five largest economies. Santo Darmosumarto, director of East Asia and Pacific Affairs for Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry, said in a briefing ahead of the visit that his government recognizes the range of its partnership with Australia, including economic cooperation and people-to-people relations, which “appear to dominate cooperation between the two countries.” “IA-CEPA, which came into force in 2020, had not been implemented effectively due to the COVID-19 pandemic despite trade between the countries increasing by around 70% last year,” Darmosumarto said. “I’m focused on sitting with President Widodo, not sitting with President Putin,” Albanese said, adding that it’s in Australia’s interest to have good relations with its Indonesian friends. “Other Southeast Asian states even occasionally measure Australia’s regional engagement by how well it manages ties with Indonesia,” Laksmana said.