President Prabowo Subianto and PM Albanese Hold Bilateral Talks to Deepen Indonesia-Australia Cooperation

President Prabowo receives Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a bilateral meeting held in the Oval Room of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday (05/15). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto Thursday (05/15) welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a bilateral meeting held in the Oval Room of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

This meeting, which followed a prior tête-à-tête between the two leaders, reaffirmed their shared commitment to bolstering the comprehensive strategic partnership between Indonesia and Australia.

The President opened the meeting by congratulating his Australian counterpart on his re-election as the Australian Prime Minister. He also expressed appreciation for the official visit, calling it a meaningful gesture of respect and a sign of strong friendship between the two nations.

“I’d like to thank you for the great honor you give us by visiting Indonesia as your first foreign state visit,” said the President.

President Prabowo Subianto also highlighted the strong and well-established ties between Indonesia and Australia, expressing the belief that the meeting would further strengthen cooperation across various sectors bilaterally, regionally, and globally.

“Your visit emphasizes this friendship, and we really appreciate it. I welcome once again this opportunity to strengthen our engagement and cooperation in a bilateral, regional, and global context,” the President added.

Prime Minister Albanese stated in his remarks that Indonesia is an invaluable partner for Australia, adding that his administration was sworn in only the day before his departure to Jakarta, underscoring Indonesia’s importance in Australia’s foreign policy.

“Indonesia is an indispensable partner for Australia, and our two peoples have an unbreakable bond. I am honored to visit Indonesia once again, making this my first bilateral visit after the election,” Prime Minister Albanese said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of economic cooperation and Indonesia’s central role in ASEAN. He also expressed confidence in expanding economic collaboration between the two countries in the rapidly growing SEA region.

“Now is the right time for us to enhance cooperation under the comprehensive economic partnership. And I look forward to productive discussions today to achieve our shared objectives,” he remarked.

This bilateral meeting reflects mutual trust and commitment between the two neighboring countries in advancing the strategic relationship.

Both leaders also agreed to continue expanding collaboration across various sectors despite the ever-evolving geopolitical dynamics. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (FI/EP)