Australia is set to open a consulate general in Surabaya, its fourth diplomatic representative office in Indonesia.

On the heels of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's state visit to the country, the Australian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Monday that the office in Indonesia's second-largest city was set to deepen trade and business ties in the "dynamic eastern region," including in financial services, education, health, manufacturing and infrastructure.

"Surabaya serves as East Java’s key logistics, manufacturing and services hub and is an increasingly important destination for Australian trade and investment," the ministry announced in the statement.

In 2015, Australia was East Java’s 10th largest export market, while Australia was East Java’s seventh largest import source, including in agriculture, according to the statement.

About 15 percent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product came from East Java, Australia noted, adding that the region’s economy consistently rose above the national average.

The Consulate General in Surabaya would be the fourth diplomatic post in Indonesia, after the Embassy in Jakarta and consulate general offices in Bali and Makassar, South Sulawesi.

In addition to economic issues, the offices would also serve Australian tourists, who were among the highest group of visitors to Indonesia last year. 

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2016 show that the number of incoming Australian tourists increased by 6 percent year-on-year (yoy).

The number of foreign tourists to Indonesia increased by 18.5 percent yoy to 1.04 million, mostly from China, Malaysia and Australia. (evi)

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