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 disclosed on Wednesday he would visit Indonesia next a week to underscore a key bilateral relationship Albanese mentioned he would meet with President Prabowo Subianto on May a day after his new regime 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 reported 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 crucial relationship than Indonesia We have an pivotal economic relationship with them They will grow to be the fourth largest market in the world We have an critical defense and safety relationship with them as well Albanese reported Albanese s center-left Labor Party won a second three-year term in an emphatic poll triumph on Saturday Newly-elected Australian prime ministers typically make their first bilateral visit to Asia usually Indonesia But Albanese s balloting rival Peter Dutton leader of the conservative opposition had proposed current 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 balloting campaign with a global-minimum tariff on exports to the U S despite trading with its bilateral free arrangement partner at a deficit for decades Media reports last month that Russia had informed Jakarta it desired to base long-range warplanes in Papua the majority of eastern Indonesian province were also raised as a guard issue during the ballot campaign Indonesia has explained Australia that no such Russian base would be allowed Cementing Australia s bilateral relationship with Indonesia is critical according to Natalie Sambhi a strategy 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