Attending ASEAN-Australia Special Summit Reception, President Watches “Smoking Ceremony” Performance

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Hadiri Resepsi KTT Khusus ASEAN-Australia, Presiden Tonton Pertunjukan “Smoking Ceremony”

LAILY RACHEV – BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

President Joko Widodo attended a reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday (5/3/2024). President Jokowi arrived at the ASEAN Leaders’ Arrival Hall, MCEC, at around 5:05 pm local time and was immediately welcomed by PM Albanese.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — President Joko Widodo attended a reception held by Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center, Melbourne, Australia. On the sidelines of the conference, President Jokowi met bilaterally with PM Albanese, New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon, and Cambodian PM Hun Manet.

President Jokowi arrived at the ASEAN Leaders’ Arrival Hall, MCEC, around 5.05 pm local time and was immediately greeted by PM Albanese on Tuesday (5/3/2024). Subsequently, PM Albanese invited President Jokowi and other leaders to take a group photograph. President Jokowi stood between PM Laos Sonexay Siphandone and Sultan Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah.

Afterwards, PM Albanese, President Jokowi, and other leaders of the countries witnessed a traditional performance of the indigenous community called “Smoking Ceremony”, performed by the Wurundjeri First Nation Elders. After the show, President Jokowi and other leaders proceeded to the reception area that had been prepared.

Accompanying President Jokowi at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit reception were Minister of Economic Coordination Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, State Secretary Pratikno, and Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono.

Also read: Jokowi Meets Leaders of Three Indonesian Trade Partners in Melbourne

LAILY RACHEV – BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

President Joko Widodo attended a reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in conjunction with the Special ASEAN-Australia Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) in Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday (5/3/2024).

Previously, to enhance the 75-year-old diplomatic relationship, President Jokowi met with PM Albanese. This meeting underlined the commitment to strengthen strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The President welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on electric vehicle collaboration.

“Australia is a strategic partner of Indonesia and ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific region, where we share a mutual future and responsibility in maintaining stability,” said President Jokowi during the meeting with Albanese held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

President Jokowi hopes that the memorandum of understanding regarding collaboration on electric vehicles can be implemented immediately through the formation of a joint steering committee and the preparation of a work plan. Specifically regarding nickel, President Jokowi encouraged the two countries to prioritize collaboration rather than competition.

The President also welcomes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Indonesian Capital Region Authority (IKN) and the National Capital Authority in February 2024. The President also wishes to invite the Australian private sector to participate in the development of IKN. The President also emphasizes the importance of cooperation in the financial services sector and announces plans to open a representative office of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) in Sydney.

Also read: Panic Rises and Falls Chases the President at IKN

LAILY RACHEV – BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

President Joko Widodo attended a reception hosted by the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, as part of the Special ASEAN-Australia Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) in Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday, (5/3/2024).

The President highlighted the importance of expanding market access to create more balanced trade. President Jokowi also welcomed the permit to import beef and cattle from Australia. Apart from that, cooperation in the field of biosecurity for fruit and fishery products needs to continue to be encouraged, especially regarding inspection and quarantine aspects.

In terms of inter-society relations, President Jokowi expressed his delight at Indonesia’s popularity as a destination for Australian students in the New Colombo Plan scheme. President Jokowi invited more Australian youths to visit and learn in Indonesia, including Indonesian culture and language.

Australia is a strategic partner of Indonesia and ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific region, where we share a future and a joint responsibility to maintain stability.

In addition to hoping for further cooperation and implementation of infrastructure and energy projects, the Head of State also welcomed the launch of the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy 2040. “Hopefully, this will further strengthen Australia’s economic integration with ASEAN through mutually beneficial trade and investment,” said President Jokowi.

Meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, President Jokowi conveyed the importance of a strategic partnership between the two countries, particularly in the fields of economy and development. One focus of the discussion was the decrease in trade value between the two nations, which reached 18 percent last year.

Also read: Vice President Amin Invites New Zealand to Support Increasing Indonesia’s Role in the Pacific

BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/MUCHLIS JR

President Joko Widodo met with Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday (5/3/2024), to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and New Zealand.

President Jokowi emphasizes the need to create new opportunities for increasing interactions between business and trade actors, including in the halal sector. The President also welcomes the plan for PM Luxon’s visit, with a trade mission to Jakarta this year.

In the field of energy, President Joko Widodo appreciates the close geothermal energy cooperation between the two countries. This includes a commitment of funding of 15.6 million NZD for the Indonesia-Aoteroa New Zealand Geothermal Energy Programme (PINZ).

Also read: Indonesia-New Zealand, Close Relations Thanks to Class Bench

The meeting also discussed the cooperation between the two countries in the Pacific region. President Jokowi appreciated New Zealand’s support for the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and hoped for New Zealand’s support in the Pacific Islands Forum.

“I also want to encourage trilateral cooperation with New Zealand and another Pacific country in the field of development partnership in accordance with Indonesia’s Pacific Elevation vision,” he said.

On his social media page, PM Christopher Luxon affirmed that Indonesia is very important to New Zealand. Regarding his meeting with President Jokowi in Melbourne, Luxon mentioned that they discussed strategic partnership, trade, and people-to-people relations.

“I appreciate President Widodo’s wisdom towards the world. I also spoke with him about the urgent need for the release of New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens, who is being held captive in Papua,” said Luxon.

Also read: Susi Air Pilot Never Free, New Zealand PM Agrees to Persuasive Approach

In Australia, President Joko Widodo also met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. President Jokowi discussed strengthening bilateral relations in welcoming the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. President Joko Widodo emphasized the increased cooperation in trade and investment through the development of connectivity and infrastructure, both in the air and sea sectors.

Regarding investment, the President said that Indonesian BUMN is ready to contribute and become a major partner in the railway and infrastructure sectors. Regarding the issue of eradicating criminal acts of human trafficking, President Jokowi appreciated the support of the Cambodian government in handling Indonesian citizens who became victims.

Both leaders discussed cooperation in the field of food security, including the import of rice from Cambodia. President Jokowi also pushed for the resolution of the renewal of the trade agreement memorandum of understanding and the memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a trade compensation mechanism to agree on the price and amount of rice imports.