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 stated on Wednesday he would visit Indonesia next a week to underscore a key bilateral relationship Albanese disclosed he would meet with President Prabowo Subianto on May a day after his new ruling body 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 stated 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 significant relationship than Indonesia We have an major economic relationship with them They will grow to be the fourth largest business activity in the world We have an critical defense and measure relationship with them as well Albanese commented Albanese s center-left Labor Party won a second three-year term in an emphatic electoral contest mastery on Saturday Newly-elected Australian prime ministers typically make their first bilateral visit to Asia usually Indonesia But Albanese s voting rival Peter Dutton leader of the conservative opposition had proposed urgent 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 ballot campaign with a global-minimum tariff on exports to the U S despite trading with its bilateral free business partner at a deficit for decades Media reports last month that Russia had stated Jakarta it demanded to base long-range warplanes in Papua the the majority eastern Indonesian province were also raised as a shield issue during the electoral process campaign Indonesia has advised Australia that no such Russian base would be allowed Cementing Australia s bilateral relationship with Indonesia is critical according to Natalie Sambhi a initiative 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 stated 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