Indonesia-Australia partnership pact a strategic move, says paper

Indonesian president Joko Widodo listens to , Australian prime minister Scott Morrison as he speaks during a news conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb 10. - Bloomberg

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): While our economy has been suffering the brunt of being too heavily dependent on investment and trade with and tourists from China, which is now virtually isolated globally because of the coronavirus pandemic, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has taken a strategic step to formally expand economic ties with Australia, our closest major neighbour.

The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) signed by President Jokowi and Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday (Feb 10) is to build a stronger and broader framework for the two countries to unlock their vast potential, fostering economic cooperation between businesses, communities and people.