The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, called me this afternoon to express regret that his visit, planned for 6-8 November, will have to be rescheduled, as a result of the security situation in Jakarta which requires his personal attention.
I said we were sorry we would not be able to welcome him to Australia tomorrow but entirely understood the need for him to remain in Indonesia at this time.
President Widodo thanked me for Australia’s understanding and noted his desire to conduct the visit as soon as mutually convenient dates can be identified.
The President told me that he had asked his Foreign Minister to make the necessary arrangements with Foreign Minister Bishop.
We both expressed disappointment that the visit would not go ahead, particularly given the strength of the bilateral relationship and our personal friendship.
While disappointing, we agreed the postponement will not affect the need for continued and enhanced cooperation across a range of shared interests and challenges, including the threat of terrorism to our region.
We will continue to negotiate the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which will unlock business opportunities for Australian companies in Indonesia and drive stronger commercial ties with South-East Asia’s largest economy.