Indonesia’s Jokowi to Urge Visa-Rule Easing on Australia Visit

(Bloomberg) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo will use a visit to Australia to push for a relaxation in visa restrictions to encourage stronger links between the two countries.

Jokowi, as Widodo is widely known, said he wanted Indonesian citizens to be offered visas on arrival into Australia, in line with the treatment of Australians coming to Indonesia.

“Visa on arrival should be ­reciprocal and fair,” Jokowi said in an interview with The Australian paper, adding he’ll raise the issue with Prime Minister Scott ­Morrison “because it’s very important for us.”

Jokowi is expected to arrive in Australia on Saturday evening and is scheduled to meet with Morrison on Monday.

The visit will focus on the nations’ economic relationship, seen to be relatively weak considering their geographical proximity. One of the reasons for that is due to a long series on diplomatic tensions and scandals that have hindered ties between Australia and Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, which is also the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

Two-way trade and investment is relatively small and significantly lags other nations in the region. However, a deal agreed last year will see more than 99% of Australian goods exports to Indonesia enter duty free or under significantly improved and preferential arrangements, while Australia will immediately eliminate all remaining tariffs on imports from Indonesia.

To contact the reporter on this story: James Thornhill in Sydney at jthornhill3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net, Linus Chua, Stanley James

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