Reflecting Indonesia’s huge population size and proximity to Australia,Albanese said on Tuesday that “there is no more important relationship than the relationship between our two great nations”.
Adding to the importance is Indonesia’s increasingly crucial role as a balancing force in the Indo-Pacific between the United States and China.
Placid doesn’t mean perfect,however,and both leaders acknowledged there was significant room for growth. Successive prime ministers have stressed the importance of Indonesia – Tony Abbott came to office promising “more Jakarta,less Geneva” in Australian foreign policy – but economic and cultural ties between the nations remain remarkably anaemic.
“Our awareness of Indonesia is declining at exactly the time it should be rising,” warns Greg Fealy,an expert in Indonesia at the Australian National University. “Our education system is failing to teach any significant number of people about Indonesian language,history or culture… In boardrooms in Australia,there are very few people who have much understanding of Indonesia at all and they think it’s all too hard.”
Rather than an occasion for earth-shattering announcements,Widodo’s visit was a moment to consolidate the relationship and lay the groundwork for possible future breakthroughs.
Albanese announced he would make it easier for Indonesian business people and frequent travellers to visit the country,but more onerous restrictions remain in place for tourists. A pilot program will be introduced to try to kickstart the teaching of Bahasa Indonesian in Australian universities,but this will be small in scale.
Widodo’s big priority for the visit was to secure a deal on electric vehicle co-operation,seizing on the fact Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves and Australia is the world’s largest main lithium producer. Significant work still remains to be done before a deal is struck.
“Leaders acknowledged Indonesia’s efforts to develop an electric vehicle production ecosystem,” read the official communiqué. “Leaders directed officials to advance co-operation and collaboration on this vital matter.”
More striking was the clear-cut language in the communiqué that the leaders “strongly deplored the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”. Widodo had previously been extremely muted about the issue,using vague language about wanting the war to end.
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Albanese and Widodo regularly speak privately on the phone,allowing them to sort out problems before they morph into crises. For example,despite initial reservations,Widodo has held back from harsh public criticism about Australia’s plan to acquire a fleet ofnuclear-powered submarines.
After the zoo visit,the leaders repaired to Kirribilli House for a private dinner. No advisers;just the two of them,free to discuss issues frankly.
Under Indonesia’s term-limited presidential system,the wildly popular Widodo will leave office next October. The leaders’ goal is to leverage their strong rapport into significant practical outcomes,entrenching a bilateral relationship that can prosper even when the geopolitical clouds grow dark.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weeklyInside Politics newsletter here.