The Indonesian president’s visit to Australia could lead to closer co-operation on the energy transition, with Australia supplying lithium for Indonesia’s electric vehicle and battery production.
Australia has to reverse the decline in the study of Indonesian so that students understand the emerging power in our region and the opportunities a closer relationship offers.
Tim Lindsey, The University of Melbourne and Tim Mann, The University of Melbourne
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit is so essential because most previous ‘resets’ have not lasted. The government-to-government relationship between Australia and Indonesia is a fragile one.
Judging by the campaign, and a bit of recent history, we can expect to see a Labor government pay more attention than their predecessors did to Indonesia – and Southeast Asia in general.
Hangga Fathana, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) Yogyakarta
If their trade deal is delayed, this will not only create a huge loss for the Australian and Indonesian economies but also change foreign policy dynamics between the two countries.
Andrew Blakers, Australian National University; Bin Lu, Australian National University, and Matthew Stocks, Australian National University
Annual water requirements of a PHES-supported 100% renewable electricity grid would be much less than the current fossil fuel system, because wind and PV do not require cooling water.
Trade and investment between Indonesia and Australia is very little despite their proximity. But there are signs of change in the way Australia thinks about Indonesia.
Jokowi’s visit was a good deal shorter than the one planned for last year. But it did highlight several important issues in the bilateral relationship.
The two countries share huge marine resources and opportunities. At the same time both face increasing challenges to their oceans and coastal regions from climate change and over-exploitation.
The annual Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth (CAUSINDY) to be held in Bali this week is an initiative that can help change negative attitudes towards Indonesia.