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eading Indonesians and Australians engaged in deep discussion here Wednesday for the inaugural Indonesia-Australia dialogue to promote people-to-people links through a closer understanding of each other.

The so-called “citizen diplomats” will continue to exchange ideas on Thursday at the Four Season Hotel in Jakarta on issues ranging from national affairs and regional and global developments to opportunities for closer engagement on business, science and technology.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Rizal Sukma, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank in Jakarta, and John McCarthy, former Australian ambassador to India, the US, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico and Vietnam.

The event is a joint initiative of both governments, announced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in March 2010 when he visited Australia.

During his state visit, Yudhoyono noticed that people-to-people links were the one area of the relationship that lagged behind.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday that the inaugural Indonesia-Australia Dialogue was a significant development in both nations’ growing strategic partnership, praising Indonesia as an important regional leader.

“It complements annual leaders’ summits and our governments’ agreement to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations — and annual foreign and defense ministerial discussions — a format Australia has with close partners,” she said.

“Indonesia is in the top tier of Australia’s core relationships,” added Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. “This forum will take our partnership to a new level.”    

According to McCarthy, the dialogue has to improve mutual understanding. “There is a certain tendency of a narrow-minded point of view, the complexities of countries are not being understood [in the right way]. We have to overcome these shortsighted perspectives.”

Rizal underlined that the dialogue was not an option but an obligation.

“We entered the 21st century in a process of globalization, modernization and growing complexities. To improve mutual understanding, on every level of society we have to start with the people,” he said.

“We have to exchange our knowledge to be able to understand the transformations Indonesia and
Australia have undertaken since the 1990s. It is a challenge to develop broad relationships which fit with the complexities of this era,” McCarthy said.

The dialogue is fully supported by the Indonesian and Australian governments, with Rudd adding that Australia and Indonesia were strategic partners in addressing the challenges of the 21st century.

“To tackle some of the most important challenges we face: whether that be through the G20 to secure global economic recovery or through the East Asia Summit and APEC to help build a secure, prosperous and dynamic region,” Gillard stated in a letter.

The Indonesia–Australia Dialogue brings together leading Australians and Indonesians from a wide range of backgrounds, including politics, business, science and technology and the media.