Malcolm Turnbull to boost relations with Indonesia

Malcolm Turnbull hopes to speak with Joko Widodo about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia in Bali this week.

Malcolm Turnbull has said he hopes to speak with Indonesian president Joko Widodo about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia after it deteriorated when Australia floated the idea of moving the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.

Mr Turnbull will represent the Morrison government at the 2018 Our Ocean Conference in Bali this week, amid speculation that he was chosen over a member of Scott Morrison’s cabinet because of his close relationship with the Indonesian president.

President Widodo is scheduled to open the conference this morning and expected to host a lunch session with all delegate leaders from participating countries, including Mr Turnbull.

Although it is still not clear whether Mr Turnbull will get to meet Mr Widodo privately, the former prime minster said that relations between Australia and Indonesia will come up when he meets the Indonesian president.

“Of course it will. Absolutely. I’m very pleased that the friendship that president Jokowi and I have has been able to see our relations reach a real high point,” he told reporters on his arrival in Bali on Sunday night.

Mr Turnbull however insisted that it is not the main issue he wishes to discuss with the president.

“Obviously the focus of the conference is about oceans and maintaining the health of our oceans and our reefs. It’s of vital importance to Indonesia as a nation of thousands of islands just as it is to Australia with our vast maritime domain,” he continued.

Relationships between the two countries have floundered after Scott Morrison floated the idea of moving the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv ahead of the Wentworth by-­election.

It was poor timing for Indonesia. Mr Widodo was hosting a delegation of Palestinian leaders and is attempting to convince his party and the public of the benefits of signing a trade deal with Australia as soon as next month.

In a move that further irritated the nation, text messages from Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne were leaked to the Seven Network.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said Australia’s ambassador to Jakarta, Gary Quinlan, was summoned twice in two days to explain the leak.

The oceans conference this week is focused on maritime security and the sustainable management of the ocean.