Speeches
Tuesday, 02 June 2026
Morning Tea for the Indonesian Trade Policy Delegation
I warmly welcome members of the Indonesian delegation to Government House.
South Australia marks the first stop on your visit to Australia. I apologise we have not greeted you with better weather, but such is life during an Adelaide winter!
I am pleased to see your delegation represent a wide range of expertise, drawn from ministries and agencies that shape Indonesia’s approach to trade negotiations, economic policy, investment and international engagement.
I thank Professor Peter Draper, Dr Nathan Gray and their colleagues at the Institute for International Trade for coordinating the short course you are studying this week, and I trust it is going well.
Australia greatly values its relationship with Indonesia, which is sustained by the growing ties between our peoples, our institutions and our economies.
It’s important for today, and for the decades ahead.
I note that Australia and Indonesia are currently undertaking the First General Review of the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
This agreement reflects the shared ambition of both governments to deepen our relationship across trade, investment, education and security.
I believe that enduring international relationships are built not only through government-to-government engagement, but through the kind of exchange taking place right here: people coming together, sharing expertise and forging the personal connections.
I commend Adelaide University and the Institute for International Trade for delivering this program through the Australia Awards, which have long supported the next generation of leaders across our region.
International trade is increasingly complex, spanning digital commerce, green economy transitions, critical minerals, services, and multilateral frameworks such as the WTO, APEC and the OECD.
The capacity of skilled officials to navigate this terrain with confidence and cooperation is of real importance to us all.
As Governor, I am acutely aware of South Australia’s growing engagement with Indonesia across education, agribusiness, food and wine, clean energy, resources and services.
I am confident that programs such as this one create real opportunities to identify new areas of collaboration and strengthen the partnerships that support our exporters and our community.
I look forward to hearing from you today about your interests in South Australia and your perspectives on how we might continue to forge new opportunities between our two countries.
I am pleased to mention that I will be visiting Jakarta later this month, and I look forward to further engagements there that support trade, investment, education and people-to-people connections.
Today’s gathering provides a particularly valuable opportunity to learn from your experiences and insights before that visit, and I am grateful for it.
I wish each of you every success for the remainder of your program in Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney.
I hope you will take away warm impressions of South Australia - its people, its spirit and its openness to the world - and I encourage you to enjoy your time here.
May the knowledge you gain and the relationships you build on the trip serve you, and the relationship between our two regions, for many years to come.