Joint Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia and Prime Minister of Australia at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java Province, June 6, 2022
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Distinguished Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,
It is an honor for me to receive an official visit from the new Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese and his delegates.
I am delighted that Indonesia has been chosen as the destination for Prime Minister Albanese’s first official visit after being sworn in as the 31st Australian Prime Minister two weeks ago. It represents close partnership of the Governments and the peoples between the two countries.
Prime Minister Albanese is for me not a new person. We met before in 2020 and that day, Indonesia was also the first country he visited as he was elected as the Australian Leader of Oppositions in 2019. Last Friday we also had a phone call.
Bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Australia has two solid foundations, including Indonesia-Australia Strategic Comprehensive partnership since 2018 and Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) since 2020.
Both foundations are vital for the two countries to strengthen mutual bilateral cooperation. During the bilateral meeting we discussed two major issues, namely discussion on measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discussion on international issues.
Related to the bilateral issues, our discussion was more focused on economic cooperation. Points I have delivered are as follows.
First, I emphasized that it is important to expand export access of Indonesian products with more added values to Australia, one of which is automotive product. The first export of Indonesian-made completely built-up (CBU) cars to Australia started in February this year and it is my hope that this kind of export will continue to be opened.
Second, I hoped for the proper implementation of the IA-CEPA, especially related to the increase in job opportunities in Australia for Indonesian citizens including the increase in quota for Working Holiday Visa in Australia by five thousand participants per month.
Third, I warmly welcomed cooperation between the two countries in education, health sectors. The opening of Monash University in Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), South Tangerang is expected to improve Australian investment for the development of Indonesian human resources. I would also like to thank the Aspen Medical (Australian-based healthcare company) for the project of building 23 hospitals and 650 clinics in West Java province worth US$1 million in 20 years.
Fourth, it is important for us [Indonesia-Australia] to strengthen food security. We discussed measures on maintaining the sustainability of food supply chain including wheat amid difficult global situation. The cooperation in food processing, food innovation, and supply chain sectors must continue to be strengthened. I also underscored that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agriculture must be implemented immediately.
Fifth, it is important to strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy sector and climate resilience. I greatly welcomed Prime Minister Albanese’s initiative related infrastructure and climate resilience partnership between Indonesia and Australia with an initial grant of AUD200 million. I also welcomed Fortescue Metals Group [Australian Iron Ore Company]’s investment commitment in hydropower and geothermal sectors, which is worth USD10 billion and Sun Cable [Australian Energy Company]’s investment commitment in energy sector, which is worth USD 1.5 billion,” the President said.
Related to international issues, I exchanged my ideas with Prime Minister Albanese about war in Ukraine, Indo-Pacific cooperation, and the strengthening of development partnership in the Pacific.
Furthermore, I reiterate Indonesia’s consistent position that strong partnership between the two countries can contribute to peace and prosperity of the region. To that end, international principles and laws must be consistently observed. Strategic competition in the region needs to be managed properly to avoid open conflict. The culture of peace and strategic trust need to be strengthened. We also agreed to strengthen partnerships in the Pacific, especially in the sectors of climate, fisheries and agriculture.
Last but not least, I am looking forward Prime Minister Albanese to attend the G20 Summit in Bali in November.
That concludes my speech on this auspicious occasion. Now, I would like to invite His Excellency Prime Minister Albanese to deliver his speech.
I thank you.
Prime Minister of Australia (Anthony Albanese)
Terima kasih, Mr. President.
I want to thank President Joko Widodo and his ministerial team for their very warm welcome and for hosting a most productive Annual Leaders’ Meeting. So, I reiterate, Mr. President. Terima kasih, Bapak Presiden.
Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is one of our most important, we are linked not just by geography, we are linked by choice. We have enjoyed a long history of cooperation and friendship, and our relationship is ever-deepened by the strategic and economic interests that we share.
Here in Jakarta, I am accompanied by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister John Farrell, Industry Minister Ed Husic, and Luke Gosling, who represents Darwin in my team. A group of senior Australian business leaders have also joined me. We have all come because of our collective regard for Indonesia, the importance of the agenda that we have just discussed and the enormous opportunity that we see here. I have a lot of respect for President Widodo’s high ambitions for Indonesia’s future and I share his optimism.
Today, I informed President Widodo that I will attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Bali in November. I did so because the work of the G20 is critical at this time of global economic uncertainty and it will be by working with Indonesia that we most effectively tackle the many challenges we face in navigating the post-COVID global economic recovery. I will work closely with President Widodo to help deliver a successful summit and we discussed that this morning.
Indonesia is on track to be one of the world’s five largest economies. Revitalizing our trade and investment relationship is a priority for my government and it is why we plan to work with Indonesia to realise the potential of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Our economic ministers will meet regularly and we will continue to secure the backing of business on both sides. My government will work with Australian Super Funds, among our largest investors, to explore investment opportunities here in Indonesia, and the senior Australian CEOs who are here with me will be at the vanguard of a sustained campaign by Australian government and business to seize these opportunities.
Bapak Presiden, I also look forward to advancing our $200 million climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia. True to my government’s ambitious climate targets, I want better access to affordable, reliable, and secure clean energy right across our region as we transition to a Net Zero World together. Your planned national capital, Nusantara, is an incredibly exciting prospect, a nation-building project signalling where Indonesia is headed and I am pleased to offer Australian technical expertise to help you plan a clean, green high-tech city.
My government also intends to rebuild Australia’s Indonesian language skills through support to the Australian consortium for in-country Indonesian Studies program. More Australians speaking Bahasa Indonesia will be vital to deepening our relationship. Several of my ministers and MPs including the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and the Member for Solomon Luke Gosling who are here today have studied Bahasa Indonesia. Australia will provide 10 “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” Scholarships for Indonesians to complete Masters or PhDs in Australia. Recipients will study in fields matching Indonesia’s G20 priorities: global health architecture, sustainable energy transition and digital transformation.
Bapak Presiden, I also welcomed our discussion on regional and global interests. Deepening engagement with southeast Asia is a priority for my government. We will deliver an additional $470 million over four years for Australia’s bilateral and regional Overseas Development Assistance programs in Southeast Asia. We will appoint a dedicated high-level roving regional envoy. We will establish an Office of Southeast Asia in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure the whole-of-government coordination of Australia and efforts in the region. We will deliver a comprehensive ASEAN Economic Strategy to 2040 to map current and future export and investment opportunities across key ASEAN markets.
I reiterate today that ASEAN and ASEAN-led institutions are at the absolute centre of our vision for the Indo-Pacific. Australia supports the Asian Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and its vision for a peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific. This also means supporting Indonesia’s leadership in the region including your ASEAN Chair year, next year. I welcomed our recommitment to Australia-Indonesia MoU on trilateral cooperation with the Pacific, a framework for both of our countries to support the needs of our Pacific neighbours, and our MoU on Agricultural Cooperation, supporting our mutual efforts to tackle food security challenges at a time of reduced global food supply and increasing prices that we are all dealing with.
To finish, can I say, Mr. President, that I was pleased we recognized our significant defence and security relationship and all this does to support regional security and stability. Our work together continues to grow in scale and in sophistication.
I look forward Bapak Presiden to hosting you in Australia for our next Annual Leaders’ Meeting. When that day comes, I hope I can make you feel as welcomed as I have felt here today. Although I can’t promise a bike ride around the lake, barely different, but we will see how we go. Until we meet again.
Sampai ketemu lagi. (AP/EP)