Australia and Indonesia Strengthen Parliamentary Links

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Bill Farmer, welcomed the visit by an Australian Parliamentary delegation to Indonesia this week as part of regular official exchanges between our two parliaments.

“The visit is part of the deepening interaction between our two democracies,” said Mr Farmer.

“The last Indonesian parliamentary delegation to Australia in August 2007 experienced the lead-up to our national elections later that year. So too this Australian delegation is seeing Indonesian democracy with all its vibrancy and openness leading up to the 2009 elections,” said Mr Farmer.

The delegation, led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, held a range of meetings in Jakarta including with the Speakers of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives (DPR) and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and other Indonesian parliamentarians.

The delegation was also received yesterday by the President, HE Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and, in a separate meeting, by Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Mr Farmer also said during the visit the parliamentary delegation was seeing first hand the environment and education work Australia and Indonesia are doing together.

“To help protect the environment our two countries have established a Forest Carbon Partnership to reduce emissions from forest degradation.”

“Australia is also building two thousand schools throughout Indonesia to improve education,” Mr Farmer said.

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