Australia must counter Russian influence, says Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese says Russia’s strong ties with Indonesia emphasised the need for closer engagement with Jakarta.

Anthony Albanese after the swearing-in of his cabinet a Government House in Canberra on Tuesday. Picture: Newswire

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Anthony Albanese says it’s important that Australia counters Russia’s attempts to strengthen its influence in Indonesia, ahead of talks in Jakarta with his Indo­nesian counterpart, Prabowo ­Subianto.

The declaration came as Jakarta said it was looking for “concrete agreements” from the Prime Minister’s visit across key sectors.

Mr Albanese, who stopped in Perth en route to Jakarta to congratulate his expanded West Australian caucus team, again refused to comment on Russia’s request to operate long-range aircraft from an Indonesian air base just 1300km from Darwin, but he said Russia’s strong ties with Indonesia underscored the need for closer engagement with Jakarta.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Mr Albanese in Canberra in August 2024. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“It’s important in our own interest, but also in the interests of the region, that we have a strong relationship with Indonesia,” he said. “That’s why, when elected Prime Minister, the first country I had a bilateral [visit] with was Indonesia, and this time in my second term, once again, I’m returning to Indonesia as the first port of call, because there’s no more important relationship than we have with Indonesia.”

Mr Albanese said “substantial progress” had already been made on Australia's new defence co-­operation agreement with Indonesia, signed in August, including closer maritime collaboration.

He said he and Mr Prabowo would discuss progress on the ­nations’ strategic relationship, but declined to say whether he would raise concerns over Indonesia’s cheap nickel exports, which are undercutting those by Australian miners.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Jakarta’s longstanding ties with Russia were not an impediment to the Australia-Indonesia relationship. “Indonesia has had a relationship with Russia, I think, since the time of Menzies, so a very long time,” she told Nine’s Today Show.

“What we have to focus on is what we do, and that’s what we’ve done. We’ve got, for the first time, a defence agreement with Indonesia. We have stronger economic ties. We work much more closely, diplomatically, internationally.

“So we can do what we need to do in our relationship with Indonesia, and that’s what we will do.”

The respected Jane’s Defence Weekly revealed during the election campaign that Russia had asked Jakarta in February to operate long-range military aircraft from its Biak Island base, in Papua Province. Indonesia said it had not agreed to host Russian aircraft but did not deny a request had been made.

Mr Albanese has repeatedly sidestepped questions on the issue, seizing instead on a mistake by Peter Dutton, who wrongly claimed Mr Prabowo had “publicly announced” the request.

The Prime Minister was set to receive a full ceremonial welcome on arrival in Jakarta on Wednesday night, ahead of talks with Mr Prabowo at the opulent Presidential Palace on Thursday.

A Russian Tu-95 bomber on Biak Island in 2017. Picture: Russian Defence Ministry

Indonesia’s cabinet secretariat said the meeting would address “priority issues”, strengthening bilateral co-operation on a range of fronts. “This official visit is expected to strengthen Indonesia-­Australia relations in various strategic sectors,” it said in a statement. “It also aims to produce concrete agreements that will bring direct benefits to the people of both nations.”

Mr Albanese will fly from Jakarta to Rome on Friday for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass on Sunday, before returning to Australia via Singapore on Tuesday for talks with that country’s Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong.

The government is determined to strengthen ties with Indonesia to ensure Australia’s northern approaches remain free of military threats and as a hedge against growing Chinese influence across Southeast Asia.

Australian Institute of International Affairs chief executive Bryce Wakefield said the Indonesia relationship was crucial and required a sustained effort by Australia to deliver meaningful benefits.

“Australian governments early in their terms always talk big about cementing relations with Indonesia and then the delivery is found to be wanting,” Dr Wakefield said.

He said the government needed to convince Indonesia and other ASEAN countries of its importance to the region.

Southeast Asian nations conducted their diplomacy with “respect and deference”, Dr Wakefield said, but “in the backs of its leaders’ minds, Australia doesn’t loom large”.