Jokowi’s visit a high point in Australian relations

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will make his first official visit to Australia tomorrow.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s trip represents a remarkable turnaround in relations with Australia. Picture: AFP

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will make his first official visit to Australia tomorrow, seeking closer economic and maritime co-operation and the conclusion of the first free-trade agreement of his presidency.

It is a trip that marks a high point in one of Australia’s most critical bilateral relationships.

The trip represents a remarkable turnaround in relations just 19 months after Australia recalled its ambassador to Jakarta over the executions of Bali Nine leaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamaran.

President “Jokowi” will fly into Sydney with a delegation of senior ministers for a reception hosted by Malcolm Turnbull at Kirribilli House before addressing thousands of Indonesian expatriates at the Sydney Showgrounds.

Just as his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, did six years earlier, Mr Widodo will address a joint sitting of parliament in Canberra before laying a wreath at the War Memorial.

On Tuesday he is scheduled to meet a roundtable of business leaders understood to include chief executives from Lend Lease, Newcrest, ANZ, Coca-Cola and EMR Capital, which last year spearheaded the $1.05 billion acquisition of Indonesia’s Martabe gold and silver mine.

Expectations are high for the reciprocal visit 12 months after Mr Turnbull flew to Jakarta for a trip now widely recognised as having helped overcome a deeply troubled period in relations following the April 2015 executions of two Australians jailed for drug smuggling, as well as bitter disagreements over Australia’s asylum boat turnback policy.

“It’s always significant when Indonesia’s head of state comes to Australia because it happens quite rarely and this is a real sign from the Indonesian government (that relations have warmed),” said Eve Warburton, an Indonesia expert and research fellow at ANU’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs.

“It’s obviously a good sign that Jokowi is reciprocating Turnbull’s visit, but the significance of it will depend on what decisions are made.”

An advanced visit by former Indonesian trade minister Thomas Lembong, now head of the Investment Board, to Australia last month said Jokowi’s economic priorities for the trip would be tourism, food security, and services.  

“Basically Indonesia is very interested in attracting Australian trade in services and in boosting tourism investment,” Ms Warburton said.  

“Australia makes a lot of revenue from Chinese tourism and Jokowi has said he wants to expand the number of Chinese tourists coming into Indonesia, but the infrastructure can’t handle a giant boom in tourists.”

Indonesia’s desire for food security is behind its push to reduce its reliance on Australia’s $1 billion-a-year live cattle trade in favour of help to establish its own cattle breeding industry.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry director for East Asia and Pacific, Edi Yusup, said there would also be talks on combating terrorism and cyber security, as well as the development of Indonesia’s blue economy and the eradication of eradicating illegal and unregulated fishing.