President Jokowi leaves for Australia
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), on Monday, departed for Australia to attend the 8th Indonesia-Australia Annual Leaders Meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney.
The president’s entourage, comprising Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, and State Secretariat Minister Pratikno, embarked from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport here.
“This visit is highly strategic for Indonesia because later, in Australia, I will attend the 2023 Annual Leaders Meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,” Jokowi stated during the press conference at the airport before his departure.
He noted that the most recent Annual Leaders Meeting with Australia took place in June 2022 in Bogor, West Java.
Investment and trade would be the main agenda of discussion with Albanese and Australian CEOs during the meeting, Jokowi stated, adding that some other agenda would follow.
“Primarily, investment and trade because there was a significant surge in trade and investment from Australia, and we will also discuss health, energy transition, and human resources’ development,” the president stated in connection with the discussion agendas.
The president and his entourage will be in Sydney on July 3-4, 2023.
The Australian Embassy in Jakarta earlier confirmed that Albanese would welcome the president and his entourage in Sydney.
“I am delighted to welcome my friend President Widodo to Australia. This will be our fourth meeting together,” Albanese noted, as per the Embassy’s written statement on Friday.
He said that Australia, as one of its closest neighbors, is building extensive cooperation with Indonesia on climate, economic development, education and regional security issues.
“Our region’s prosperity and stability requires collective effort and responsibility and that is why Australia is committed to being a strong partner to our friends and neighbors in Southeast Asia,” Albanese remarked.
Australia and Indonesia share a vision of an open, stable, and prosperous region, with ASEAN at the centre of the region’s affairs. Australia will also continue to support Indonesia’s priorities as the 2023 ASEAN Chair.
