Australian PM Albanese to visit Indonesia in first overseas trip since re-election
MELBOURNE Australia AP Australia s newly re-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese explained on Wednesday he would visit Indonesia next a week to underscore a key bilateral relationship Albanese commented he would meet with President Prabowo Subianto on May a day after his new leadership is sworn in That is a signal to our region of the importance that we place on this region We will in the fastest growing region of the world in human history Albanese commented in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp Albanese described Subianto as a good friend of mine on a personal level as well as our countries being close We have no more critical relationship than Indonesia We have an major economic relationship with them They will grow to be the fourth largest financial system in the world We have an significant defense and guard relationship with them as well Albanese mentioned Albanese s center-left Labor Party won a second three-year term in an emphatic electoral process success on Saturday Newly-elected Australian prime ministers typically make their first bilateral visit to Asia usually Indonesia But Albanese s poll rival Peter Dutton leader of the conservative opposition had proposed emerging from tradition by making his first overseas trip as prime minister to the United States to strike a better tariff deal with President Donald Trump Australia was hit during the poll campaign with a global-minimum tariff on exports to the U S despite trading with its bilateral free pact partner at a deficit for decades Media reports last month that Russia had informed Jakarta it requested to base long-range warplanes in Papua the majority eastern Indonesian province were also raised as a safeguard issue during the ballot campaign Indonesia has recounted Australia that no such Russian base would be allowed Cementing Australia s bilateral relationship with Indonesia is critical according to Natalie Sambhi a plan expert with the Sydney-based Asia Society Australia educational institute Indonesia is our closest strategic partner in the region Visiting again is just sending that message home that Indonesia really matters to Australia and that we have to work together given our proximity as emerging middle-powers in the region Sambhi revealed Albanese will trip to Alberta Canada in June to attend a Group of summit and is expected to meet Trump during a U S bilateral state visit while in North America Source