Aus eases visa rules for Indonesian travellers

Sydney, July 4 (IANS) Australia will ease visa rules for Indonesian travelers in a bid to boost economic ties between the two nations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday after a meeting with visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

During the Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders' Meeting, Albanese and Widodo discussed various topics, including visa requirements, trade and climate change, reports Xinhua news agency.

The leaders also discussed new initiatives to enable more Australian and Indonesian professionals to work in each other's country.

This includes improved visa offerings for Indonesian business people and frequent travelers, mutual professional recognition for engineers and new pathways to support skills exchange.

Albanese said the changes would encourage more trade and investment between the nations.

"I thank President Widodo for joining me in Sydney today for warm and productive discussions at the Annual Leaders' Meeting," he said.

"Australia and Indonesia, working together, are committed to meeting the challenges and opportunities of the future."

The leaders also agreed to set up a A$50 million ($33 million) initiative under the Australia-Indonesia Climate and Infrastructure Partnership to help attract private climate finance to Indonesia and discussed electric vehicle battery production.

Indonesia was Australia's 14th-largest trading partner in 2021-22, with two-way trade between the countries totalling about A$18.3 billion, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.