TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived at the Merdeka Palace, Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara, Jakarta as part of a state visit on Thursday morning, February 6th, 2026. President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Albanese's arrival.
Albanese arrived at the Merdeka Palace in a car at around 9:00 AM local time. The vehicle left the Raffles Hotel in Karet Kuningan, South Jakarta, where Albanese was staying, and headed to the Merdeka Palace via Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat.
A cavalry unit escorted Albanese's car as it entered Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat. Dozens of cavalry soldiers escorted the Australian Prime Minister's vehicle from the front and back. Additionally, 17 motorbike guards accompanied Albanese at the front.
Upon passing through the gates of the Merdeka Palace, Albanese was welcomed by a line-up of honor guards on the left and right sides of the entrance road. President Prabowo greeted Albanese in his car upon disembarking.
They then witnessed the Naikonos Lari Dance before climbing the stairs to the entrance of the Merdeka Palace. The dance originates from East Nusa Tenggara.
The reception process for Albanese continued with the national anthems of each country, accompanied by drumbeats. The two leaders then introduced their respective delegations to each other.
Prabowo appeared to guide Albanese in shaking hands with his entourage. Among them were Foreign Minister Sugiono, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Investment and Downstream Industry Minister Rosan Roeslani, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Siswo Pramono.
Then, Albanese introduced Prabowo to his delegation. Among them were Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and the Chief International Advisor of the Australian PM's Office.
After introducing their respective entourages, Prabowo and Albanese entered the Merdeka Palace. They briefly chatted before continuing with their private meeting agenda.
Albanese is scheduled to be in Indonesia for three days from February 5 to 7, 2026. Albanese and Prabowo are scheduled to sign a bilateral security treaty during this visit.
This is Albanese's second visit to Indonesia during Prabowo's presidency. In May 2025, Albanese made Jakarta the destination of his first foreign visit one day after being re-elected as the Prime Minister of Australia. Since becoming Prime Minister in 2022, Albanese has visited Indonesia five times.
Prabowo then reciprocated Albanese's visit by traveling to Australia on November 11, 2025. During the one-day state visit, Albanese and Prabowo held a private meeting.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto welcomed the visit of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Friday, February 6, 2026, as part of the second bilateral meeting between the two countries. The two leaders had a casual chat before proceeding to a closed-door meeting.
During the casual conversation, Prabowo mentioned Albanese's honeymoon after he got married on November 29, 2025. "Once again, thank you, Prime Minister, for coming here today. I'm glad to meet you. You've returned from your honeymoon, haven't you?" said Prabowo, which was met with laughter from Albanese.
Prabowo also inquired about whether Albanese's spouse was present for the visit. However, Albanese mentioned that his partner was working and did not accompany him on the trip.
Albanese then recounted that he had just finished a question-and-answer session in the Australian parliament before heading to Indonesia. He went straight to the airport after being bombarded with questions by members of the Capital Hill council in Canberra. "I came from Canberra to here. Our parliament is in session this week. So, I finished the Q&A a bit early and headed straight to the airport, then here," Albanese told Prabowo.
Prabowo apologized for being unable to welcome Albanese upon his arrival in Indonesia on Thursday, February 5, 2026. "I apologize for not being able to welcome you at the airport. I had a meeting at the Palace," said Prabowo. Albanese understood Prabowo's busy schedule. "No, Mr. President, it's truly amazing that we can meet," said Albanese.
Albanese mentioned that he had met dozens of people in Indonesia and always felt welcomed by them. He said that Indonesia and Australia are neighbors and friends. The leader of the Australian Labor Party highlighted that this was his fifth visit to Indonesia as prime minister. "Even before that, I had been here many times. But five times in four years, this shows how close our relationship is," Albanese told Prabowo.
At this meeting, the two leaders will sign a bilateral defense agreement. Albanese hopes that the agreement will further strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and Australia.
Prabowo then expressed his good wishes for Indonesia and Australia. He also thanked Albanese. "Thank you, thank you very much," said the Chair of the Gerindra Party.
Albanese said that his visit to Jakarta this time would be brief. He was scheduled to be in Indonesia from February 5 to 7. "This is a short but important visit. The next visit will be much longer," he said.
Albanese and Prabowo then continued their closed-door meeting. They each brought delegations who were also present at Merdeka Palace.
Albanese's visit to Indonesia is the second during Prabowo's administration. In May 2025, Albanese made Jakarta his first destination for a foreign visit, just one day after being re-elected as the Prime Minister of Australia.
In response to Albanese's visit, Prabowo traveled to Australia on November 11, 2025. During the one-day state visit, Albanese and Prabowo held a face-to-face meeting.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Jakarta on Friday, underscoring deepening strategic ties as the two neighbors prepare to sign a landmark security cooperation treaty.
Prabowo welcomed Albanese at the Merdeka Palace and thanked him for the visit despite a tight parliamentary schedule, apologizing for being unable to greet him upon arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base a day earlier.
"Thank you, Prime Minister, for coming here today. It is a pleasure to meet you,” Prabowo said.
Albanese said he flew directly from Canberra after cutting short Australia’s parliamentary question time, highlighting the priority his government places on relations with Indonesia.
He said the brief visit, held between parliamentary sessions, signaled the growing depth of bilateral ties and confirmed that a longer visit would follow.
"This is a short but important visit, as we indicated in December,” Albanese said.
Prabowo said he hoped cooperation between the two countries would continue to expand and deliver tangible benefits, particularly in security, regional stability, and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
Albanese’s visit scheduled for Feb. 5 to 7, during which Indonesia and Australia are set to sign a joint security cooperation treaty, reinforcing their strategic partnership in the region.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia Galuh Prayudhia, Martha Herlinawati
Editor: Arie Novarina
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on Friday invited Australia to develop joint ventures in agriculture and mining, offering the Danantara Indonesia Investment Management Agency as a strategic investment partner to strengthen bilateral economic ties.
Meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Prabowo said the two leaders discussed priority agricultural cooperation as Indonesia accelerates productivity to achieve food self-sufficiency.
"Today Prime Minister Albanese and I discussed key priority agendas in agriculture, and I invited Australia to develop joint ventures in the agricultural sector in both our countries,” Prabowo said.
He also encouraged Australian investment in the downstream processing of critical minerals, including nickel, copper, bauxite, and gold, while pledging to support Indonesian companies seeking to invest in Australia’s critical minerals sector.
Prabowo said Danantara was ready to explore co-investment opportunities and other partnership models with Australian counterparts across strategic sectors.
Economic ties between the two countries have expanded under the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with bilateral trade reaching about US$15.4 billion in 2024, according to official data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade.
The two leaders also signed a joint security treaty, which Prabowo said reflects a shared commitment to strengthening national security cooperation and contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
He added that the agreement underscores Indonesia’s long-standing good-neighbor policy and its independent and active foreign policy amid evolving regional challenges.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia Galuh Prayudhia, Martha Herlinawati
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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