Improving ties with Indonesia would allow Australia to better diversify its economy amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, according to the Prime Minister.
Anthony Albanese has ended his two-day tour of Indonesia, saying his first bilateral visit abroad as prime minister has been a success.
The prime minister returned home on Tuesday night, landing in Darwin, after his trip to Jakarta and the city of Makassar in eastern Indonesia.
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He is scheduled to meet with Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles on Wednesday morning to announce plans to launch NASA rockets into space from the far end.
The Prime Minister will then travel to Sydney later in the day.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has returned home after a successful two-day tour of Indonesia. Credit: AAP
As Indonesia is expected to be among the top five economies in the world, Albanese said that strengthening ties with the Asian nation was crucial.
“It is clearly in Australia’s interest to drive this investment,” he told reporters in Makassar.
“Australia in terms of Indonesia as a trading partner is 13th on our list. It should be much higher.”
Albanese was the first Australian prime minister to visit Makassar, indicating that the country wanted to extend relations with Indonesia beyond Jakarta and Bali.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to visit other regions of Indonesia on his next visit to the country.
During the visit, he promised to attend the G20 summit in Bali in November, although Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended.
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With the reception from Indonesia, Albanese said the summit represented a great opportunity for the country.
He also pledged to expand relations with ASEAN, pledging to establish links with the Indo-Pacific.
Although previous federal governments also sought to increase Indonesia’s opportunities, Albanese said the government intended to take positive steps in the area.
“We have started to do that, the presence here not only of me but also of my ministers, business leaders, has sent a very clear message,” he said.
“We are working to ensure that we maximize the economic opportunities of participation in our region, but also that we face the challenges that lie ahead here in our region.”
The Prime Minister also indicated that a delegation of representatives of Australian retirement funds would visit Indonesia in the coming weeks to study investment opportunities.