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Indonesia-Australia ties ‘shift up another gear’ at Sydney summit
The summit in Sydney had been presented as an opportunity for the two leaders to chart a path together for their nations to meet “the challenges and opportunities of the future”.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) speaks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) in front of the Sydney Opera House, at Admiralty House in Sydney on July 4, 2023.
(AFP/Lisa Maree Williams)
A
ustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised a slew of new bilateral initiatives on green energy, education and people-to-people ties on Tuesday as he hosted President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for this year’s leaders’ meeting and spoke of a future in which his nation worked in lockstep with its neighbor.
The summit in Sydney had been presented as an opportunity for the two leaders to chart a path together for their nations to meet “the challenges and opportunities of the future”. It was held on the eve of the third anniversary of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) entering into force.
“It’s important that we’re investing in trading relationships to grow our economy, support good jobs and strengthen our supply chains,” Albanese said at a joint press conference after their official meeting. “There are few more important trading partners to us than Indonesia.”
Affirming Jakarta’s ambition to establish itself as an electric vehicle (EV) battery production center, the Western Australian state government inked a deal with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) to supply Indonesia with lithium, a mineral crucial for EVs. The agreement was finalized ahead of the leaders’ meeting and is the culmination of Jakarta’s year-long effort to fill the supply gap.
“There is a lot that Australia can offer Indonesia and the region in the energy transition, including the global move towards electric vehicles. We are rich in all of the components and the expertise needed for renewable energy. President Widodo and I welcome growing cooperation in this area,” said the Australian leader.
An action plan for the West Australia-Kadin memorandum of understanding would be launched in September in Jakarta, Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said in a separate statement, noting that the deal was “an essential step” in seizing opportunities in the critical minerals sector and uniting actors willing to fund it.
