Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will fly to the Indonesian port city of Makassar as he continues his visit to the Asian nation.
On the second full day of his bilateral visit to Indonesia, Mr Albanese will head to the island of Sulawesi on Tuesday, as he looks to solidify trading ties.
The prime minister will make an address before meeting with the local governor and touring a nearby factory.
Mr Albanese said the trip to Makassar was symbolic of Australia’s relationship with Indonesia.
“Australia understands that Indonesia is much more than Jakarta and Bali, this vast archipelago and this great nation is diverse, is spread across a wide area of geography,” he said.
“Makassar has a particular connection, of course with Australia, going back hundreds of years in terms of trade.”
Speaking at a business dinner in Jakarta on Monday night, the prime minister said Australia would work with Indonesia as global markets rebounded following economic downturns.
“I want to work with Indonesia to effectively tackle the many challenges we face in navigating the post-COVID global economic recovery,” he said.
“We are linked by choice, because we have both made a conscious decision to strengthen that relationship.”
The dinner was attended by a high-profile delegation of business leaders and chief executives, who have been holding talks in Indonesia.
One of the leaders in the delegation was Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott, who said the trip had been a success.
“There are huge opportunities for Australian businesses, which means there’s huge opportunities for Australia’s economy and wages and jobs in doing more with this market,” she told ABC radio.
“There was more to us being here in Indonesia than trade and investment, it was about resetting Australia’s direction.”
Mr Albanese said he wanted to realise the potential of economic partnerships with Indonesia, with the Asian nation set to become one of the five-largest economies in the world.
The prime minister met Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday, with the two leaders discussing trade, climate change and regional issues.
During the meetings, the prime minister also pledged to attend the G20 summit in Bali in November, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin also attending the event.
Mr Albanese said the summit would be crucial for the Indo-Pacific.
“I’m focused on sitting with President Widodo, not sitting with President Putin,” he said.
“The work of the G20 is critical at this time of global economic uncertainty, and it will be working with Indonesia that we most effectively tackle the many challenges we face.”
