This week in Australian foreign affairs: President-Elect of Indonesia Prabowo in Australia; Joint ministerial statement on Australia-Indonesia Defence cooperations; Solomons International Assistance Force returned to Australia; inaugural Australia-India Strategic and Technology Policy Initiative (SATPI) grants announced, and more.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles this week to welcome to Australia the President-Elect of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo arrived on 19 August for a two-day visit to “discuss Australia’s continued commitment to working in partnership with Indonesia on shared economic, security and net zero transition priorities.” This visit was Prabowo’s first to Australia since Indonesia’s general election in February 2024.

On 20 August, Marles joined his current counterpart Minister for Defence of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto in the release of a Joint ministerial statement on Australia-Indonesia Defence cooperation. The statement highlighted the “common commitment to the pursuit of a peaceful, stable, secure and prosperous region where sovereignty is respected,” as well as the “positive vision and constructive outlook for our region with ASEAN at its centre, providing an essential stabilising influence.” During their meeting in Canberra the two announced the conclusion of negotiations to upgrade the Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Arrangement to a treaty level agreement. The ministers also acknowledged that that, subject to the completion of domestic approval processes, “the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) would complement the Agreement between Australia and the Republic of Indonesia on the Framework for Security Cooperation (the Lombok Treaty) (2006) and the Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2018) and further strengthen our bilateral relationship.”

On 18 August, Marles joined Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, and Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy in marking the return of the final Australian members deployed under the Solomons International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Over the last three years, more than 1,600 Australian personnel have deployed to Solomon Islands, to work alongside military and police from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand in support of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).” According to the statement, “AFP personnel will continue working in Solomon Islands with RSIPF counterparts providing mentorship, delivering assistance for major operations, and boosting capabilities through targeted training and exchange programs.” The SIAF supported the successful delivery of the 2023 Pacific Games and 2024 Joint Elections.

Wong joined Conroy on 20 August in a joint media release to mark the one year anniversary of “Australia’s International Development Policy – Delivering for our region and Australia.” According to the statement, the policy “aims to make our development program more effective, responsive, transparent and accountable.” Some of the outcomes include: providing access for 23.8 million vulnerable people emergency assistance; delivering 31.5 million new therapeutics, vaccines, and medical equipment; providing immunization for over 10 million people; and enrolling nearly 250,000 more children in school. Wong and Conroy also announced new investment of $35 million over four years in projects to improve access to civic space, “to allow people to meet, express themselves, share information and contribute to decisions that affect their lives.”

Wong congratulated Hamish MacDonald and Rully Kurniawan for the achievement in winning the Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Award for 2024. “Mr MacDonald is a co-host of ABC Radio National Global Roaming program and a Walkley Award winner. Mr Kurniawan is a senior correspondent for CNN Indonesia with over 19 years’ experience in broadcast media.” According to the announcement, “the Award will support Mr MacDonald to spend two weeks in Indonesia and Mr Kurniawan to spend two weeks in Australia. They will engage in specialised programs to deepen their understanding of contemporary issues in each country.” Elizabeth O’Neill OAM, for whom the Award commemorates, was a distinguished journalist who died while serving her country in Indonesia on 7 March 2007.

Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State Don Farrell this week travelled to Chicago to bolster Australia’s trade and investment interests with the United States. While in Chicago, Farell met with US counterparts and other senior officials “to continue discussions on strengthening trade and investment cooperation including on critical minerals, climate and economic security, IPEF negotiations, and strengthening and reforming the WTO.” Farrell will also “meet with businesses in the US Midwest who have important links to the Australian economy, to reaffirm the value of working together to leverage the significant opportunities for greater two-way commercial ties.” According to the statement, Farrell will attend the International Leaders Forum held on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention. The forum brings together world leaders, officials and organisations with an interest in protecting our democratic institutions.

On 22 August, Farrell announced the Reappointment of Tourism Australia Managing Director Ms Phillipa Harrison. Harrison was first appointed in 2019 and has led the tourism sector through the devastation of the bushfires and the global pandemic. “As recovery continues, Tourism Australia under Ms Harrison’s stewardship, is continuing to help drive international demand including through the successful ‘Come and Say G’day campaign,’” the statement read.

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy on 21 August announced that the “Australian Government will provide $1 million (AUD) to the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue (BCN) to repair studios and broadcast rooms damaged by fire in 2020.” The funding will enable BCN Studios ongoing media presence in the small island state of Niue –which supports public debate, democratic norms and robust governance. “BCN Studios plays a critical role in Niue’s National Disaster Plan by broadcasting emergency information during natural disasters, such as cyclones and earthquakes, through its Natural Disaster Alert System.”

On 18 August, Conroy announced that the Australian Government and Football Australia will be partnering to support the development of elite football throughout the Pacific in a renewed partnership. The “four-year investment will facilitate regular international fixtures between Australian and Pacific national teams, in addition to capacity-building initiatives aimed at supporting the development of players, match officials and administrators from throughout the region.” The program will “feature women’s and men’s football across a range of age groups, as well as international futsal, this partnership will provide regular opportunities for Pacific national teams to train and compete with some of Australia’s brightest talents.”

On 20 August, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts announced the Inaugural Australia-India Strategic and Technology Policy Initiative (SATPI) grants round. The grants seek to develop a vision for a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous. “SATPI will fund, as a flagship activity, an annual 1.5 track strategic dialogue between Australia and India – a joint initiative announced at the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi in November 2023. Other funded activities may include conferences, workshops, research, policy papers, institutional exchanges and other innovative projects that advance Australian interests with India in the strategic and tech policy space.” The government has committed approximately $1.25 million to the grants each year across financial years 2024-25 to 2026-27. “Australian entities – including in partnership with Indian organisations – may submit grant applications up until 29 September 2024.”

Dr Adam Bartley is the managing editor for AIIA’s Australian Outlook and weekly columnist for The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and resident fellow at the Elliot School for International Affairs, the George Washington University. Adam also has positions as post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation RMIT University  and as program manager of the AI Trilateral Experts Group. He can be found on Twitter here.

This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.