Anthony Albanese has had an early encounter with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ahead of the pair’s formal talks in Jakarta.
The prime minister arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday night for his first bilateral meeting with a world leader since winning a second term in office at the federal election.
While he was due to meet with his Indonesian counterpart for formal bilateral meetings on Thursday, the prime minister was greeted by Mr Subianto at his hotel.
The pair then had a one-on-one meeting, ahead of the formal events on Thursday.
Mr Albanese said the visit to Indonesia would aim to strengthen ties within the Indo-Pacific region.
“Australia and Indonesia are the nearest of neighbours and the closest of friends,” he said on social media.
“Working with President Subianto over the coming years, we will build stronger connections between our two countries.”
Mr Albanese was initially greeted by a guard of honour and Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto when he landed in Jakarta on a RAAF jet on Wednesday night.
He’s travelling with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke as part of the Australian delegation.
The prime minister has already flagged the Australia-Indonesia defence co-operation agreement, signed last August, will be a priority at the talks.
“There’s substantial progress that’s been made already, particularly in the area of maritime, and one of the things that we’ll be discussing as well is that progress going forward,” he told reporters in Perth, before leaving for Jakarta.
As Canberra grows concerned over Indonesia’s developing relationship with Russia and China, Mr Albanese will seek to strengthen his bond with Indonesia’s leader.
Reports emerged during the election campaign that Moscow had requested to operate long-range military aircraft from an Indonesian base.
Mr Albanese said every senior official in the Indonesian government had reassured their Australian counterparts it wasn’t happening.
The prime minister reinforced the importance of the relationship with Jakarta in a phone call with the president, who called to congratulate him on his election win on May 3.
“I want Indonesia to be my first visit. Not Washington, not Beijing, not anywhere else,” Mr Albanese told the president.
Security experts have warned Australia to heed Indonesia’s concerns about the AUKUS deal and growing US military presence in the region, which Jakarta viewed as increasing strategic competition.
The prime minister will fly to Rome after his trip to Jakarta to attend Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration mass on Sunday.
He will return to Australia next week, after he sits down with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday.
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