Australia, Indonesia unveil visa, climate pacts as leaders meet

BLOOMBERG

Longer business visas and millions of dollars in green investment aimed at bolstering economic ties capped the first visit to Australia by Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo in three years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Indonesian leader known as Jokowi discussed boosting cooperation on critical minerals, green manufacturing and security partnerships during their meeting in Sydney on Tuesday. At a joint briefing that followed, Albanese unveiled five-year business visas for Indonesians traveling to Australia, up from the current three years.
The Australian leader also announced a A$50 million ($33 million) fund to spur climate investment in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Australia and Indonesia should build “more substantive and strategic economic cooperation through the joint production of EV batteries,” Jokowi said at the briefing, without elaborating.
The three-day visit marks the Indonesian leader’s first trip to neighboring Australia since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, and comes at a time when the two resource-rich countries are trying to navigate increasingly challenging geopolitical landscapes. The leaders highlighted the strength of their security relationship and vowed to push for a defense cooperation agreement, according to a statement. “Indonesia is a country of vital importance to Australia: its prosperity, security and stability makes the Indo-Pacific region more prosperous, more secure and more stable,” Albanese said.