“Citizen Diplomats” begin Inaugural Indonesia-Australia Dialogue

Leading Indonesians and Australians will come together Wednesday for the first Indonesia-Australia Dialogue to promote people-to-people links through a closer understanding of each other.

The “Citizen Diplomats” will engage in an open exchange of ideas on issues ranging from national affairs, to regional and global developments to opportunities for closer engagement on business, science and technology.

“The inaugural Indonesia-Australia Dialogue is a significant development in our growing strategic partnership with Indonesia, our close neighbour and an important regional leader”, said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. “It complements annual leaders’ summits and our governments’ agreement to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations—and annual foreign and defence ministerial discussions – a format Australia has with close partners.”

“Indonesia is in the top tier of Australia's core relationships”, said Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. “This forum will take our partnership to a new level.”

Twenty Australian participants have been drawn from a wide cross-section of Australian society – from politics, business, academia, and media. Participants were chosen because they are prominent in their fields and they can help impart understanding of a modern, dynamic Australia to the Indonesian participants in the Dialogue.

The Australian participants will be led by co-convenor John McCarthy, AO. Mr McCarthy is a former diplomat with a distinguished career, including ambassadorial postings to India, the United States, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico and Vietnam.

His Indonesian counterpart, Dr Rizal Sukma, is the Executive Director of the prominent Centre for Strategic and International Studies (Jakarta) think tank.

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