February 6, 2026 | 12:24 pm
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.
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