Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday flew to Sydney for an annual leaders’ meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

During his Sydney trip, Jokowi is scheduled to meet Australian Governor-General David Hurley. He will have talks with chief executive officers of firms who have invested as well as those who are planning on investing in Indonesia.

“Trade and investment will be high on the agenda during my visit to Australia. We are witnessing a huge growth in investment and trade with Australia,” Jokowi told a press conference broadcast from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base in Jakarta on Monday.

“[We will also discuss] health, energy transition, and human capital development,” Jokowi said.

The overseas trip will not stop there. Jokowi on Wednesday will fly to  Port Moresby, following Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape’s invitation. Jokowi is set to attend the first bilateral business forum between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

“Australia and Papua New Guinea are Indonesia's close neighbors, good friends, and strategic partners in the Pacific region. This visit is incredibly strategic for Indonesia,” Jokowi told the press.

Government data shows Indonesia-Australia trade grew from $12.6 billion to $13.3 billion in 2022. Bilateral trade between the close neighbors already reached $3.7 billion in the first four months of 2023. 

Foreign direct investment inflows from Australia to Indonesia last year totaled $524.4 million. Indonesia in 2021 secured $195.2 million worth of Australian investment in 2021.

Trade between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, however, only reached $307.6 million in 2022. Their bilateral trade stood at $77.4 million in January-April 2023. 

Earlier this year, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi met with her then Papua New Guinean counterpart Justin Tkatchenko in Jakarta. The senior diplomats discussed the possibility of Indonesian state-owned enterprises investing in Papua New Guinea’s pharmaceutical industry and energy sector.

Read More: Australia, Indonesia Can Team Up on Lithium Supply Chain

Add as a preferred source on Google +