Press Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia

Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister: Thanks for joining us. It is wonderful to be back here in Jakarta for my fifth visit to Indonesia as Prime Minister of Australia. And this relationship is absolutely critical for Australia's national interest, but also a critical relationship in our region. Building stronger ties with our neighbours makes us safer at home, and the treaty that we have signed in Jakarta today takes our defence and security cooperation to a new level. It is now the strongest relationship we have ever had with Indonesia, a critical partner, friend, and after today, of course, even stronger. Signing this treaty is also about the future that we want to write together, because Australia's relationship with Indonesia will shape the region that we share, the fastest growing region in the world, in human history. Working together, we can build a region that is more secure, more peaceful and more prosperous. And the work that we've done as well with the economic relationship as a result of Nicholas Moore's work in the Southeast Asia Economic Srategy to 2040 is realising real benefits; a tripling of trade since that began, increased investment across our two nations as well. Indonesia is the fourth largest nation in the worldwide population, and by 2040 it will be the fifth biggest economy in the world. That represents opportunities for Australian jobs and Australian growth and Australian prosperity, and that is the scale of the opportunity that is before us. We're determined for Australian ideas, Australian products and Australian businesses to help power Indonesia's growth. And I do want to thank Nicholas Moore and Jennifer Westacott, who's the Business Champion for Indonesia, who've been here this week, brought significant investors here in Indonesia as well. Going forward, we want to build prosperity here, but we also want to create new jobs and opportunities at home. The work this week has done just that. This is a very significant treaty. It builds on the treaty that was done between Suharto and Keating back in the later period of the Keating Government, that was so important for Australia. Foreign Minister will speak, and then we're happy to take a couple of questions.

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Thank you, Prime Minister. Well, it was a great honour today to be there for the signing of the Treaty on Common Security between Australia and Indonesia, the Jakarta Treaty 2026. We are the closest partners with Indonesia. We share a long history of friendship and cooperation. As President Prabowo often remarks, we were, as a country, one of the early advocates for and champions of partners in Indonesia struggle for independence. For Australia, there's - we know that security comes from our relationships and from our region, and there is no more important partner for Australia in that context than Indonesia. This treaty articulates a different sort of relationship. It's about being there for each other in challenging times. It's about working with each other in hard times and in easier times to assure peace, assure stability and assure prosperity. And it is about us being closer as neighbours. This strengthens the foundations of our cooperation. Importantly, this treaty was a personal initiative of President Prabowo and the Prime Minister. It's a sign of deep trust and close friendship between our nations, but also between our leaders. This is the next chapter in our relationship with Indonesia. We have taken this relationship to a new level, and we will continue to do the work to build this relationship even more strongly. Why do we do that? Because it is in our interest. It's in our interests in terms of Australian security and in terms of our prosperity. Thank you.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister. One of the outcomes today, as well as, in addition to the treaty, is that Australia will support Indonesia to develop joint defence training infrastructure in Indonesia. What could that look like? Would that look like potentially a base? And can you also say whether Indonesia has accepted this offer for a senior TNI officer to serve within the ADF?

Prime Minister: Well, the offer was made, of course, today. So, it's a new initiative that we brought here as part of the engagement with the President of Indonesia. Of course, there is nothing new about Indonesia and Australia swapping personnel and exchanges. Indeed, President Prabowo, of course, is a graduate of, spent time at Duntroon, and that is one of the things that explains his close relationship to Australia. So, we want to see more integration, more positive engagement. With regard to Australian assistance in infrastructure here, that's to be discussed between the relevant defence heads as we go forward. But it's something where Australia, of course, has significant expertise in a range of areas. We provide support domestically for countries such as Singapore and India and others, for training, and Indonesia. We see Australian presence in our region as well. And one of the things that is helpful, and why this is supported by our defence apparatus, is because if you have those personal relationships, it really helps on the ground. And we have both participated as well. Obviously, we've seen Indonesian support for Australia in natural disasters, and we, of course, have helped at times, like Aceh and others, when there have been disasters here. And just as the personal relationship between myself and the President is important, it's important also to have those relationships across our structures, whatever they will be, whether it's defence or indeed in the economy, which is why Nicholas Moore and Jennifer Westacott were here with business leaders this week.

Journalist: Just on that as well - is it envisaged that one day there might be permanent or a semi-permanent presence in some of these facilities that Australia will help build in Indonesia, of Australian Defence Personnel?

Prime Minister: All of that, I mean, Indonesia is a sovereign country, and all of that is a matter for Indonesia to consider down the track. What we are doing, though, is reaching out and offering our support where it is helpful for it to be given, just as Indonesia has been very generous in offering Australia support during times of need.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister. Do Australia and Indonesia agree on what some of the strategic threats or challenges might be in the region, particularly when it comes to the influence of China, say, in the South China Sea?

Prime Minister: This is very much about the sovereignty of Indonesia, the sovereignty of Australia, but also a recognition that by having the cooperation which is there, as the three articles in the treaty indicate, the first is about our common security and just that cooperation which is there, and engagement and regular contact. And importantly, it's a step level higher than the Keating-Suharto Agreement, because that was at a lower level. This is a leader and ministerial level, that cooperation. So that says something about the significance of the agreement. It's also, Article Two speaks about adverse challenges. So doesn't specify what that might be, because we don't want to pre-empt those issues. It's just that where there are challenges, and challenges do arise, we know that those challenges could be a range of things. We have faced challenges together, for example, more recently, with the pandemic, represented that as well, and that, of course, is a security issue as well as we go forward. That we'll consider measures that might be taken either individually or jointly, so that sometimes one and one equals more than two. And that is the benefit of this relationship being upgraded.

Journalist: You've talked about the friendship that this shows between Indonesia and Australia. Do you think, though, that Indonesia has a closer friendship with Australia after this treaty than with other countries like China or Russia, say?

Prime Minister: I think Australia's relationship with Indonesia is stronger after this treaty, and is the strongest it has ever been.

Journalist: But what about the return to that from Indonesia?

Prime Minister: It's a two-way friendship and relationship. This is, is something that will be noticed around the region, because it's a very significant agreement going forward. And one of the things that we have done methodically, in an orderly way, which is the way that my government operates, is whether it is what I agreed last week with the Paseria with Timor-Leste say, whether it be the Pukpuk Treaty with PNG, whether it's the work that we're doing with Tuvalu with the Falepili Agreement, whether it be the Nauru Treaty, whether, the work we're doing on an ongoing basis with Fiji, is to engage bilaterally with nations, but also engage in multilateral organisations. Now, one of the things that is important about Indonesia is its leadership in ASEAN. Its leadership in ASEAN means that it's not ASEAN, of course, it's the largest country in ASEAN, but economically, population, in a range of ways, and in terms of influence. Those multilateral engagements as well, whether it be ASEAN, the Pacific Island Forum, APEC, all of these organisations are very important for our engagement in the region, which then allows us to engage with the world.

Journalist: Prime Minister, you mentioned the Pukpuk Treaty there with Papua New Guinea. How do you imagine this treaty will interact with the Pukpuk Treaty with Papua New Guinea, given that there's Indonesian armed service members, the TNI, engaged in conflict with West Papuan separatists not too far from the border of Papua New Guinea?

Prime Minister: Well, we support the sovereignty of Indonesia, and that's reaffirmed by this treaty. And PNG, we have an alliance with PNG that's very strong that also recognises the sovereignty of the nations in the region.

Journalist: If Papua New Guinea needed to defend its borders or move military to the borders, would that be discussion with Australia and potentially needing to consult Indonesia on them?

Prime Minister: We will always consult with our neighbours, but they are sovereign nations, and that's recognised in the agreements, both - the Pukpuk Treaty recognises the sovereignty of PNG and Australia, and this agreement, this treaty, very much recognises the sovereignty of Australia and Indonesia. Thanks very much.