Jokowi and Albanese hit it off, but the countries’ placid relationship is not perfect

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As he stood beside Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Sydney on Tuesday, Anthony Albanese felt the need to apologise. The prime minister was eager to show off the beauty of his hometown to one of his most important international counterparts, but Mother Nature had other ideas.

It was a grey and soggy winter’s day in Sydney, one not well suited to a carefully planned itinerary that included a boat ride from the prime ministerial residence in Kirribilli to Taronga Zoo.

President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ponder a Sumatran tiger.Credit: James Brickwood

“I apologise that the weather isn’t perfect today, but we have done our best,” Albanese told Jokowi, as he is universally known.

The drizzle, however, did not detract from what is clearly a friendly and productive personal relationship. The leaders smiled and laughed together while viewing an exhibit of Sumatran tigers, which are native to Indonesia.

The pair hit it off last June when, on Albanese’s first bilateral trip as prime minister, they rode bamboo bicycles together around the presidential palace in Bangor. The relationship was solidified by Albanese’s commitment to attend the G20 summit in Bali at a time some other nations were considering withdrawing because of Russia’s participation. It was a pledge Widodo appreciated.

In the days leading up to his visit, Widodo described Albanese as his “close friend”, saying: “He is warm and friendly and I feel close with him”.

Joko Widodo and Anthony Albanese were taken by boat to Taronga Zoo.Credit: NCA NewsWire

Albanese used similar language on Tuesday, telling Widodo: “I regard it as a great honour as well and something that the warmth between us is something that has given me a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction”.

The Indonesia-Australia relationship has been remarkably placid for most of the time since Widodo came to power in 2014, at least compared to past decades. Crises that previously bedevilled relations – East Timor’s independence bid, asylum seeker boats, the execution of Australians for drug offences – have been mercifully absent.

Reflecting Indonesia’s huge population size and proximity to Australia, Albanese said on Tuesday that “there is no more important relationship than the relationship between our two great nations”.

Adding to the importance is Indonesia’s increasingly crucial role as a balancing force in the Indo-Pacific between the United States and China.

Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong with Widodo at the annual leaders meeting, held at Taronga Zoo. Credit: James Brickwood

Placid doesn’t mean perfect, however, and both leaders acknowledged there was significant room for growth. Successive prime ministers have stressed the importance of Indonesia – Tony Abbott came to office promising “more Jakarta, less Geneva” in Australian foreign policy – but economic and cultural ties between the nations remain remarkably anaemic.

“Our awareness of Indonesia is declining at exactly the time it should be rising,” warns Greg Fealy, an expert in Indonesia at the Australian National University. “Our education system is failing to teach any significant number of people about Indonesian language, history or culture… In boardrooms in Australia, there are very few people who have much understanding of Indonesia at all and they think it’s all too hard.”

Rather than an occasion for earth-shattering announcements, Widodo’s visit was a moment to consolidate the relationship and lay the groundwork for possible future breakthroughs.

Albanese announced he would make it easier for Indonesian business people and frequent travellers to visit the country, but more onerous restrictions remain in place for tourists. A pilot program will be introduced to try to kickstart the teaching of Bahasa Indonesian in Australian universities, but this will be small in scale.

Widodo’s big priority for the visit was to secure a deal on electric vehicle co-operation, seizing on the fact Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves and Australia is the world’s largest main lithium producer. Significant work still remains to be done before a deal is struck.

“Leaders acknowledged Indonesia’s efforts to develop an electric vehicle production ecosystem,” read the official communiqué. “Leaders directed officials to advance co-operation and collaboration on this vital matter.”

More striking was the clear-cut language in the communiqué that the leaders “strongly deplored the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”. Widodo had previously been extremely muted about the issue, using vague language about wanting the war to end.

Albanese and Widodo regularly speak privately on the phone, allowing them to sort out problems before they morph into crises. For example, despite initial reservations, Widodo has held back from harsh public criticism about Australia’s plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

After the zoo visit, the leaders repaired to Kirribilli House for a private dinner. No advisers; just the two of them, free to discuss issues frankly.

Under Indonesia’s term-limited presidential system, the wildly popular Widodo will leave office next October. The leaders’ goal is to leverage their strong rapport into significant practical outcomes, entrenching a bilateral relationship that can prosper even when the geopolitical clouds grow dark.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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