Subject(s): Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders’ Meeting
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd met at the third annual Indonesia-Australia Leaders’ Meeting in Bogor on 5 July 2013.
President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Rudd were encouraged by the many positive developments in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Indonesia since the second Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Darwin in 2012, particularly within the framework of comprehensive partnership between the two countries. The two Leaders shared their mutual commitments for progress, prosperity and security of both countries.
The Leaders reaffirmed the two countries continued adherence to the principles of respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as mandated in the Lombok Treaty.
Both Leaders were of the view that the two countries need to continue cooperation at the bilateral, regional as well as global levels in maintaining durable peace and stability in the region and the world at large. The two Leaders acknowledged that Australia and Indonesia need to harness the many real opportunities of the Asian Century. The two Leaders underlined the importance of the Annual 2+2 Dialogue between Foreign and Defence Ministers in addressing challenges and seizing opportunities the two countries have.
The Leaders encouraged the further promotion of bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Indonesia and Australia. They welcomed the conclusion of the first round of Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) negotiations in March 2013. Noting that the two countries have shared interest in the area of food security, both Leaders agreed to further explore trade and investment cooperation in the agriculture sector, including in the beef and cattle industry.
The two Leaders also agreed to continue advancing trilateral cooperation with Timor-Leste to promote greater economic links between eastern Indonesia, northern Australia and Timor-Leste.
President Yudhoyono welcomed Australia’s increased development program to support Indonesia’s development priorities such as social protection, education and infrastructure. The two Leaders committed to pursue initiatives to develop the skills needed, across their communities, to engage with each other. They reiterated their commitment to deepening people-to-people links, including by enhancing the mobility of people between Indonesia and Australia and promoting connectivity, scientific, educational and cultural links. Both leaders welcomed the convening of the second Indonesia-Australia Dialogue, held in Sydney in March 2013.
The Leaders recognised the importance of the two countries’ wide-ranging cooperation in tackling regional and global challenges, particularly transnational crimes such as terrorism, cyber-crime and drugs, corruption and money-laundering. The Leaders affirmed the value of an inaugural annual Law and Justice Ministers’ meeting before the end of 2014.
As co-chairs of the Bali Process, the two Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue to develop a regional solution, involving countries of origin, transit and destination which covers elements of prevention, early detection and protection, to combating trafficking in persons and people smuggling and other related transnational crimes. They stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral actions which might jeopardise such a comprehensive regional approach and which might cause operational or other difficulties to any party. The Prime Minister of Australia welcomed Indonesia’s initiative to invite key origin, transit, and destination countries to a conference to explore concrete operational and policy responses, including regional approaches and efforts to enhance border security, in addressing irregular movement of persons.
Both Leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation, including through the signing of the Defence Cooperation Arrangement by Defence Ministers in September 2012. Both leaders welcomed expanding cooperation, including in strategic policy and planning, and capability building. The two Leaders looked forward to the continued cooperation across the region to respond to natural disasters.
Both Leaders reiterated their commitment to working closely together to address bilateral consular matters to protect their nationals overseas. They acknowledged the progress made on consular issues, namely the establishment of annual consular consultations and crisis response cooperation, and agreed to explore further opportunities for strengthening cooperation and information sharing in this area.
The two Leaders attached importance to the role and continued development of ASEAN-centred forums, particularly the East Asia Summit. The Leaders looked forward to an ASEAN-Australia Leaders’ Summit in 2014 to celebrate 40 years of ASEAN-Australia relations. Australia and Indonesia also committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean.
Both countries reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability and maritime security in the region and of disputes being resolved in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, without resorting to the threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, while exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities. Both countries called for the early conclusion of a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
The Leaders underlined the benefits of close collaboration globally and welcomed the opportunity to pursue complementary policy agendas across Indonesia’s hosting of APEC in 2013 and Australia’s hosting of the G20 in 2014. They looked forward to Australia and Indonesia co-hosting a symposium in Jakarta in the coming year to strengthen our cooperation in the G20, and deepen our engagement with regional partners on the G20 agenda. Australia commended President Yudhoyono’s leadership as a co-chair of the High Level Panel on the post-2015 Development Agenda and looked forward to working together in advancing this development agenda. The two countries welcomed the opportunities from Australia’s 2013-14 membership of the United Nations Security Council to highlight an Asia-Pacific perspective on global challenges.