Media Release
31 October 2021
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Ms Penny Williams PSM begins her first official visit to South Sulawesi today.
Ambassador Williams will meet with the Acting Governor of South Sulawesi, Mr Andi Sudirman Sulaiman, and the Mayor of Makassar, Mohammad Ramdhan Pomanto, as well as business, education and community leaders.
These meetings present an opportunity to deepen the existing collaboration between South Sulawesi and Makassar with Australia, including on issues such as vocational education and smart cities.
“I am delighted to make my first official visit to South Sulawesi today, to learn more about the strong links between South Sulawesi and Australia - which began more than 200 years ago with the voyage of Makassan seafarers to northern Australia,” Ambassador Williams said.
“Australia has deep connections with South Sulawesi, including business linkages, research collaborations and our longstanding support to the province’s health security, stability and economic recovery. Australia’s world class vocational education system and expertise in smart cities technologies are supporting South Sulawesi’s COVID-19 response and recovery, delivering skills training and digital solutions to enhance productivity.”
The Indonesia-Australian Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) and its economic cooperation program Katalis are paving the way for further economic partnerships between Australia and South Sulawesi. During her visit, the Ambassador will visit businesses transforming Australian raw inputs into world-leading Indonesian exports.
The Ambassador’s meetings with education leaders will reaffirm Australia’s commitment to innovative research and evidence-based policy making in South Sulawesi, including through the PAIR (Partnership for Australia Indonesia Research), KSI (Knowledge Sector Initiative) and RISE (Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments) programs, and CSIRO’s Data61 Climate Risk Resilience Digital Platform.
Ambassador Williams will also take the opportunity meet with key Australian alumni leaders, including members of the Makassar Women’s Leadership Forum.
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