Fresh from re-election, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is making Indonesia his first overseas stop, a move analysts say underscores Canberra’s intent to place Southeast Asia at the centre of its foreign policy while repairing earlier diplomatic missteps and navigating rising geopolitical tensions in the region.
Albanese will fly into Jakarta for a two-day visit beginning Wednesday to attend the Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders’ Meeting, according to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry on Monday.
“The visit will be PM Albanese’s first visit after he was reelected and it shows the strategic closeness of both countries,” spokesman Rolliansyah “Roy” Soemirat said.
Australia and Indonesia upgraded their relations to a Strategic Comprehensive Partnership in 2018 and forged the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2019.
During this week’s meeting, both leaders are expected to discuss increasing bilateral economic cooperation including in food, energy resilience and trade.
In an earlier interview with local media, Albanese said Australia had “no more important relationship than Indonesia”, describing President Prabowo Subianto as a “good friend of mine on a personal level”.
