Indonesia will hold an inauguration ceremony for its eighth President, Prabowo Subianto, on Sunday 20 October.
President-elect Prabowo has served as Defence Minister since 2019 and is expected to focus on strengthening and modernising the Indonesian military and taking an active approach to foreign policy.
Available to comment:
Associate Professor Sharyn Davies, Director of the Monash Herb Feith Indonesia Engagement Centre and Associate Professor of Indonesian Studies
Contact details: Sharyn.Davies@monash.edu or +61 0410 069 980
The following can be attributed to Associate Professor Davies:
“Prabowo's leadership could have a significant impact on Indonesia's relations with Australia, especially as his focus on defence and military modernisation could see Indonesia take a more assertive role in regional security matters, including in the South China Sea.
“Under Prabowo’s leadership, Indonesia is poised to become a more assertive power, balancing its interests between China and the US/UK/Australia alliance. It is crucial that Australia strengthens its soft power diplomacy to maintain influence in future negotiations. This means Australia must urgently invest more in growing cultural and language competencies among Australians to enhance their understanding of Indonesia and foster deeper bilateral ties.
“As Prabowo is likely to take a more active international role, Australia will benefit by strengthening its partnership with Indonesia and fostering closer cooperation in regional security and diplomacy.”
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