I will today begin a three day visit to Jakarta, my first overseas visit as Labors spokesperson for Foreign Affairs.
Indonesia is a country of paramount importance to Australia, and Labor, and one I have been privileged to have visited on a number of occasions. Australia's future will, in great part, be shaped by Indonesia.
During my time in Jakarta I will hold meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, political leaders, senior officials from President Joko Widodo's administration, and leading commentators in Indonesia.
Indonesia is a central player in the shift of the worlds economic and strategic centres of gravity to Asia.
Indonesia is lifting millions of people out of poverty and creating a dynamic new South-East Asian economic powerhouse. Indonesia needs to be at the centre of Australias foreign policy. Indonesia and Australia need to be genuine strategic partners.
Indonesia has played a key role in ASEAN and I believe it is vital that Indonesia continues to act as a major regional power, exercising leadership and influence both in the pursuit of its own national interests and in the interests of regional and global stability.
I want our relationship to be deeper, broader and more strategic and this visit will be an important reference point to inform the foreign policy Labor will take to the next election.