Outgoing Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer paid Monday a farewell call to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Office in Jakarta before holding a private party for his closest Indonesian friends at his residence on Tuesday.
Farmer, who has held the post since 2005, said Indonesians and Australians were “natural friends” who have worked well together and cooperated in many areas, including development, the promotion of international relations, democracy, sustainable fisheries and disaster management.
“I’ve found my time here to be both incredibly rewarding professionally and very, very pleasing personally,” he told a press conference after the meeting with the Indonesian President.
Farmer added he was honored that Yudhoyono had been willing to receive him in the farewell call, saying that the latter was widely respected in Australia.
He also specifically addressed the Indonesian media, saying he enjoyed dealing with them despite their “often very difficult questions”.
Indonesia presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said Farmer was one of most popular foreign ambassadors to Indonesia, and that he was the longest serving Australian ambassador to work in the archipelago.
“During the farewell call, [the] President expressed his gratitude for all Ambassador Farmer has done in building the relationship with Indonesia during his time here, especially in helping establish the comprehensive partnership between Indonesia and Australia,” Dino said.
“The close personal relationship between President Yudhoyono and former prime minister John Howard and now with Kevin Rudd is due in part to the efforts of Bill Farmer.
“The President thanks him as, with his diplomatic skills, Bill Farmer has helped Indonesia and Australia cope with difficulties during the course of their relationship,” he added.
During his farewell on Tuesday, Farmer, together with his wife, sang a song of Indonesia’s multicultural society and unity in front of scores of Indonesian friends, including some ministers, diplomats, journalists and businesspeople.
“He is one of the best ambassadors to have been assigned to Jakarta thus far,” former Indonesian ambassador to Australia Sabam Siagian said during the farewell party.
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