Media release

10 August 2008

Visit to Indonesia

I will visit Indonesia from 11 to 13 August.

In Jakarta, I will meet my counterpart, Dr Hassan Wirajuda, as well as other senior Indonesian Ministers, officials and Parliamentarians, to discuss our extensive bilateral cooperation ranging from disaster response and security ties to enhanced people-to-people links.

This visit will see the fourth bilateral meeting Dr Wirajuda and I have had.

It follows on from our December meeting in Bali, our meeting in Perth in February and our meeting in Singapore last month during the ASEAN related meetings.

During Dr Wirajuda’s visit to Perth in February we formally exchanged letters to bring into force the Lombok Treaty on security cooperation.

The Lombok Treaty is a very significant and major step forward in our bilateral relationship, providing a robust legal framework for strengthening extensive security cooperation between Australia and Indonesia.

In Perth Dr Wirajuda also accompanied me to the modern day successor of my old high school, where he spoke to an Indonesian language class. On my visit to Indonesia I will travel with Dr Wirajuda to South Sulawesi to visit one of 2000 junior high schools Australia is building or expanding in Indonesia as part of our development assistance in basic education.

Two-way education links between Australia and Indonesia are particularly strong, with 15,000 Indonesian students currently enrolled in Australian schools, universities and technical colleges. Australia awards 300 scholarships to Indonesian students each year.

In 2008-09, Australian aid to Indonesia under the Australia-Indonesia Partnership will be over $460 million. Major areas of assistance in addition to education include health, infrastructure and governance.

I will also address the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta to outline Australia’s first rate bilateral relationship with Indonesia.

Australia's relationship with Indonesia is strong and broad-ranging, reflecting our shared interests and commitment to advance cooperation on the many bilateral, regional and global issues of importance to us both.

Media inquiries: Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555