This week in Australian foreign affairs: Widodo visits Sydney, Albanese addresses Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Wong and Canadian and UK counterparts issue joint statement on recent events in Israel and West Bank, and more.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, to Sydney for the Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders’ Meeting on 4 July 2023. The meeting coincided with the eve of the third anniversary of the entry into force of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The leaders welcomed “substantial progress advancing the Australia-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”, as well as “deepening links between Australia and Indonesia towards ensuring stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.” They emphasised the importance of “enhancing the bilateral economic and development partnership”, boosting people-to-people ties, maritime cooperation, and “the need for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” Following his meeting with President Widodo, Albanese announced a $50 million initiative under the Australia-Indonesia Climate and Infrastructure Partnership “to attract private climate finance to Indonesia”.

On 30 June, Albanese addressed the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, where he reiterated Australia’s “support for a two-state solution”, and emphasised that “Australia supports democracy in Israel, just as we support it around the world.” Albanese also noted that Australia’s “friendship” with Israel “has been a constant”, indicated by “our willingness to stand up for each other, [and] also our candour. True friends want each other to be the best they can be.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong issued a joint statement with her Canadian and United Kingdom counterparts on 1 July, where the Foreign Ministers noted their “deep concern” following “recent events in Israel and the West Bank which further reduce the prospects for peace.” The statement referred to “the Government of Israel’s approval … of over 5,700 new settlement units in the West Bank”, “changes to the settlement approval process instituted by the Government of Israel”, and “the continued violence and loss of life in Israel and the West Bank.” The Ministers “unequivocally condemn[ed] all forms of terrorism and violence against civilians, including the terrorist attack on June 20 in Eli targeting Israeli civilians … [and] the reprehensible and ongoing settler violence targeting Palestinians.” They emphasised that their Governments “stand firmly with the Israeli and Palestinian people in their right to live in peace and security, with dignity, without fear and with their human rights fully respected.”

On 3 July, Wong, alongside Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy jointly announced the appointment of Ewen McDonald as Australia’s next High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji and Australia’s inaugural Special Envoy for the Pacific and Regional Affairs. McDonald is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has headed the Office of the Pacific for the last four years. His Special Envoy role will “enhance Australia’s ability to respond to collective challenges and strengthen our engagement with regional organisations as a member of the Pacific Islands Forum.”

Wong and Minister for Trade Don Farrell noted on 30 June that they had jointly hosted more than 70 Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Chargé d’Affaires in South Australia for three days last week. They referred to this as “an opportunity to bring representatives from around the world to Adelaide, to promote trade and investment opportunities, showcase local produce and meet some of our wildlife.” Wong and Farrell stated that “to advance Australia’s interests and values in the world, we need to harness all elements of our national power – strategic, economic, social and diplomatic. This includes shaping how Australia is seen, by projecting modern Australia to the world.”

This week, Conroy travelled to the Republic of the Marshall Islands to “further strengthen Australia’s genuine and longstanding partnerships in the Pacific.” He will meet with President David Kabua “to discuss our shared commitment to addressing key challenges for our region such as climate change and economic security.” Conroy also noted that the Government will provide “additional support to the United Nations Development Programme’s project to improve household and community rainwater harvesting and storage in the Marshall Islands.” While in the Marshall Islands, Conroy will represent Australia at the 20th Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee Ministerial Meeting and the 4th Regional Fisheries Ministers Meeting, “to help shape the strategic direction for oceanic fisheries, coastal fisheries and aquaculture in our region.”

Isabella Keith is a weekly columnist for Australian Outlook. She is also a Research Assistant, Sessional Academic, and Honours student in Law at the Australian National University, with a focus on international law. Isabella attended the AIIA #NextGen study tour to South Korea last year, and was also a delegate to the AIIA’s Australia-Korea-New Zealand and Australia-United States-Japan Policy Forums. She can be found on Twitter here.

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