TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung has confirmed that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will visit Australia.
“A visit has been planned for February 26-27,” Pramono said yesterday in a press statement at the Presidential Palace.
Pramono added that the two countries will discuss cooperation in cyber security, tourism, mining and counterterrorism. Both will also negotiate and finalize the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IACEPA).
The IACEPA is a bilateral cooperation launched in 2010. The cooperation covers a various issues ranging from export and import duties to investments.
The Investment Coordinating Board chairman Thomas Lembong said that Indonesia will explore an opportunity to cooperate with Australia on gold mining investment, among others. Australia-based mining company Newcrest has shown interest to invest US$1 billion for gold mining exploration in Indonesia for the next five years.
“A memorandum of understanding between Newcrest and [state-owned mining company] PT Aneka Tambang was entered into when I visited Australia in November,” Lembong said.
Lembong went on to say that Indonesia will take advantage of Australia’s tourism boom. “We don’t actually need the capital, but we need their design or management models of tourism,” Lembong said.
ISTMAN MP