Gala Dinner to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Australia-Indonesia diplomatic relations, Jakarta, Indonesia

The Governor-General delivered some of his remarks in Bahasa Indonesia.

[E&OE]

Selamat malam [Good evening]

Yang terhormat para tamu undangan yang telah hadir malam ini. [Dear invited guests who have attended tonight]

Saya dan Linda sangat senang dapat kembali lagi ke Indonesia. [Linda and I are very happy to be back in Indonesia.]

Kecintaan saya pada negara ini dan orang-orangnya sangat mendalam. [My love for this country and its people runs deep.] 

Kunjungan saya ke Indonesia adalah hal yang sangat penting selama masa jabatan saya untuk menunjukkan hubungan erat antara kedua negara. [My visit to Indonesia was of great importance during my term of office to demonstrate the close ties between the two countries.]

Australia and Indonesia are neighbours by geography, but partners and friends by choice.

We had the privilege of hosting His Excellency Joko Widodo in Sydney last year and in Canberra in 2020.

The connection between Australia and Indonesia is underpinned by a mutual respect and our longstanding ties.

Tahun ini, Australia dan Indonesia merayakan tujuh puluh lima tahun hubungan diplomatik. [This year, Australia and Indonesia celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations.]

Indonesia is — and always will be — one of Australia’s most important strategic partners.

We are there for each other in times of need and, side-by-side, are working to create new opportunities.

It is connections between people — all of you here this evening and the organisations you represent — that are at the heart of our relationship and key to our future.

Our mutual success matters.

Australia recognises Indonesia’s importance as the world’s third largest democracy.

It is home to almost 280 million people and on track to be one of the world’s largest economies by 2040.

Australia is well positioned to support this growth. We, too, are of this region — a diverse multicultural country, with large Asian and Muslim populations.

We have longstanding connections dating back hundreds of years to when Makassan seafarers travelled to Northern Australia and maintained trade and cultural links to the Yolngu people.

We are proud of the deep bond our countries have forged, underpinned by our business, education, cultural and community links.

There is, of course, considerable goodwill between communities in our respective countries.

There are now more than 200,000 alumni of Australian educational institutions in Indonesia.

Australia is proud of our alumni community and their role in shaping the future of Indonesia.

It is our alumni community who lay the foundations on which Australia and Indonesia work together, as neighbours and as partners.

The transformative opportunities offered by education have a tremendous impact on individuals and their communities.

Today, Australian universities are opening campuses in Indonesia, expanding the opportunities for education cooperation between our nations.

Australian undergraduate students have flocked to Indonesia under the New Colombo Plan.

Since 2014, more than 12,000 Australian undergraduate students have studied and undertaken internships here.

I am proud to be patron of the New Colombo Plan, as well as other organisations that strengthen ties between our two countries such as the Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program and the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program.

Saya mengetahui dari pengalaman saya sendiri betapa pentingnya hubungan yang terjalin melalui studi dan pertukaran. Berbagi pengalaman sangat penting untuk memperdalam kerja sama antara Australia dan Indonesia, serta mendukung keamanan dan kesejahteraan. [I know from my own experience how important the relationships forged through study and exchange are. Sharing experiences is critical to deepening cooperation between Australia and Indonesia and supporting security and prosperity.]

Contohnya, saya bertemu dan berkenalan dengan banyak teman-teman dari Indonesia termasuk Bapak Menhan dan Presiden Terpilih Prabowo di Royal Military College, Duntroon. Dan kami masih berhubungan baik sampai sekarang. [For example, I met and got to know many friends from Indonesia including the Minister of Defence and President-Elect Prabowo at the Royal Military College-Duntroon. And we are still on good terms until now.]

Even more than our shared past, it is our futures that are tied together.

Australia and Indonesia are pursuing strategic economic engagement, seizing opportunities in the clean energy transition and working to drive investment.

We both seek a stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific, with ASEAN at its centre.

Indonesia sangat penting bagi Australia, kawasan kita dan dunia. Kami yakin hubungan ini akan terus berkembang dan memberikan manfaat bagi kedua negara. [Indonesia is very important to Australia, our region and the world. We are confident that this relationship will continue to develop and provide benefits for both countries.]

Terima kasih. [Thank you]

[Ends]