PM pushes ‘stronger ties' with Indonesia amid Russia worries
Defence magazine Jane's revealed last month that Moscow requested to station warplanes at an Indonesian air base some 1300km from Darwin.
The Prime Minister has been murky on how much he knew about the request but conceded he knew something, while Indonesia's government has dismissed the claim it and the Russians have neither confirmed nor denied.
It has put Canberra's relationship with Jakarta in the spotlight, with Mr Albanese stressing the importance of Indonesia being his first state visit since winning the federal election.
'I've come to Indonesia for my first overseas visit since the election because our region comes first,' he posted on social media.
'Australia and Indonesia are the nearest of neighbours and the closest of friends.
'Working with President (Prabowo Subianto) over the coming years, we will build stronger connections between our two countries.
'Stronger ties with our neighbours means a stronger economy and more jobs in Australia.'
Russia has continued to enjoy strong military ties with Indonesia under Mr Prabowo's presidency.
A strongman figure with a populist flair, Mr Prabowo won 58.6 per cent of ballots cast in his country's general election last year.
His victory came despite dark allegations he was involved in disappearing student activists nearly two decades ago when he headed an elite military force used to stamp out domestic unrest under former dictator Suharto.
Mr Prabowo was discharged from the military over the kidnappings but has maintained he did not play a direct role.
The rumours around his past has not dissuaded the Albanese government from dealing with him also, with Mr Albanese last year inking a major defence pact with then president-elect Prabowo aimed at boosting co-operation.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke have also joined Mr Albanese in Indonesia.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Australian
3 hours ago
- The Australian
Evolution Mining CEO: Glencore smelter closure threatens green energy goals
A major Australian miner said it was nonsensical for the Albanese government to pursue lofty renewables targets without also stepping in to save Australia's only copper smelter and refinery, given the metal's importance as a supply source for green energy. The Glencore refinery and smelter in Queensland remain on the brink of closure after weeks of warnings from the company and talks with the state and federal governments. That's led to fears of another heavy industry shutdown just months after Labor campaigned on revitalising Australia's manufacturing sector, which is battling high labour and energy costs. The Albanese government is funding the underwriting of an expanded capacity investment scheme, which aims to fast-track the construction of major solar and wind projects to meet its 2030 target of 82 per cent renewables. Evolution Mining chief executive Laurie Conway said if the copper smelter closed, it would never re-open, and Australia would be forever consigned to importing the processed copper needed in big volumes for the energy transition. 'I think the Queensland and federal governments need to really understand that if that smelter closes, it will never reopen,' he said on the opening day of the Diggers & Dealers mining conference in Kalgoorlie. 'Having smelting capacity for a commodity that is going to be critical to the renewable pathway is fundamentally important, and I think the government has a role to play.' Anthony Albanese was given a green light to turbocharge his clean energy revolution, with the Productivity Commission declaring the net-zero transition will cost even more than expected and that greater government intervention, regulation, incentives and carbon pricing are needed to hit Labor's climate targets without crippling the power grid or damaging productivity. Mr Conway said the Queensland government's role was to provide services and support in the region, while the federal government needed to weigh up its responsibilities alongside its renewables targets and support for that industry. 'The more copper that you can process here, (the more it helps) in terms of renewables. You need copper to achieve those targets,' he said. 'If you don't have that capacity ... you are beholden to others.' It is understood Glencore held talks with the Queensland government on Monday but remains at an impasse in Canberra. Swiss-based Glencore is due to release its half-year results on Wednesday and provide an update on the future of the smelter and refinery that are losing about $30m a month. Glencore has said it will make its final decision by the end of September and has offered the federal government a range of assistance options, including handing part ownership to taxpayers. Mr Albanese talked tough on Glencore in parliament last Friday, but acknowledged his government wanted to protect the national interest and jobs in Mt Isa, where the smelter is based. 'Let's be clear about Glencore though. It is a highly profitable company. Just this year they paid $2.2bn in dividends to their shareholders. Australia has been pretty good to Glencore. It's about time that Glencore recognised it needs to be good back to Australia,' he said. Glencore's Mount Isa mining operation, known as MICO, closed last week, leaving it more reliant on supply from small and medium-sized copper mines in the northwest of Queensland. Evolution has a life-of-mine offtake agreement with Glencore covering copper produced from the Ernest Henry mine that Evolution acquired from Glencore for $1bn in 2021. The closure of the smelter would put the future of northern Australia's largest inland town in doubt. Mount Isa is the anchor city of Queensland's northwest, with its businesses and hospital servicing not only its 18,000 residents but the region as a whole. A global desire to decarbonise by 2050 would require a significant increase in the number of mines and volumes produced, according to experts. EY said part of the energy transition would require massive volumes of copper – about 41 million tonnes – necessitating the construction of about 40 new large copper mines globally. The Productivity Commission report also raised the issue of the government's controversial Capacity Investment Scheme for renewables which is due to stop in 2030 as potentially meaning the electricity sector might not decarbonise quickly enough in the next decade. Andrew Forrest's Squadron Energy said it advocated for policy settings that reflect 'the true value of firmed renewables' and enabled investment in generation storage, grid upgrades, and regional development. 'This aligns with the Commission's recommendation to replace the Renewable Energy Target and Capacity Investment Scheme with more effective market mechanisms post-2030,' Squadron said in a statement. Read related topics: Climate Change Politics Business leader Warwick Smith has warned Anthony Albanese to hasten slowly with any reforms agreed upon at the upcoming economic roundtable, amid warring unions and corporate groups. Business Australia will set minimum prices for rare earth minerals and broker national supply deals to break China's grip on the critical defence material.
Sky News AU
6 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Albanese must guarantee Australia is not ‘rewarding terrorists'
Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash has accused the Albanese government of recklessly distributing taxpayer funds, warning $20 million in aid could be indirectly supporting terrorism. 'Mr Albanese needs to guarantee to the Australian people that this $20 million of taxpayer funds is not going to reward terrorism,' Ms Cash told Sky News host Sharri Markson. 'Shame on Mr Albanese and Penny Wong for not sitting back and understanding the actions the Anthony Albanese Labor government are taking … you are embalming and you are rewarding terrorists. 'This wasn't a protest; it was a political statement using one of our most iconic pieces of infrastructure, which has yet again emboldened Hamas.'
Sky News AU
7 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Sydney Harbour Bridge anti-Israel protests labelled ‘disgraceful'
Sky News host Andrew Bolt slams the Sydney Harbour Bridge pro-Palestine protests as 'disgraceful'. 'One last thing on the disgraceful anti-Israel protest yesterday, this is what the Albanese government has helped to unleash with its own attacks on Israel,' Mr Bolt said. 'Now the government is actually considering effectively rewarding Hamas by recognising a Palestinian state.'
