Media Release
8 January 2020
Australia and Indonesia signed Letters of Intent on Digital Diplomacy and Trilateral Cooperation in Jakarta today. These new commitments will ensure greater consultation, cooperation and collaboration between our governments in these two sectors.
Witnessed by the Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, the Letters were signed by Australian Chargé d’Affaires to Indonesia, Allaster Cox, and Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy, Cecep Herawan.
The Letter of Intent on Digital Cooperation builds on the outcomes of the Regional Conference of Digital Diplomacy that was held by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta in September 2019.
“The Letter of Intent provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation between Australia and Indonesia’s vibrant digital sectors. We want to share our knowledge of how to use digital tools to strengthen our diplomacy and learn from Indonesia’s experiences,” said Australian Chargé d’Affaires to Indonesia, Allaster Cox.
Mr Cecep Herawan added, “Through this LoI, we put forward a path to understand the development in digital diplomacy and improving our diplomat’s digital-savviness. This LoI also aims to generate further collaboration among countries in the region and a stepping stone to follow up the outcomes of the Regional Conference on Digital Diplomacy.”
At present, the Australian Embassy in Jakarta and Consulates-General in Surabaya, Denpasar and Makassar collectively operate 12 social media accounts and four websites, and regularly post engaging content for 350,000 followers across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
The Trilateral Cooperation Letter of Intent is the first step to expanding cooperation between Australia and the recently launched Indonesian Agency for International Development.
Mr Cox said that Indonesia and Australia have shared interests in ensuring the stability and prosperity of our region.
“Indonesia can play a constructive role in the Indo-Pacific, sharing valuable lessons of its development trajectory and poverty reduction with others in the region, and we look forward to deepening our partnership on these issues through this Letter of Intent,” he said.
Echoing Mr. Cox, Mr. Herawan added that the LoI in Trilateral Cooperation will also boost ties and linkages between Indonesia and Australia, in relation to trilateral cooperation.
"Our two countries will work collaboratively to achieve common international development objectives, support the development, in particular, the Pacific Region, and contribute to global development within the framework of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", Mr. Herawan concluded.
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