President of the Fifth Republic of Indonesia and General Chair of PDI\nPerjuangan, Megawati Soekarnoputri, warmly welcomed the arrival of the\nAustralian Ambassador to Indonesia, Rod Brazier, at her residence in\nMenteng, Central Jakarta, on Monday, 11 May 2026.<\/p>\n
In the friendly meeting, the two discussed various strategic issues,\nfrom strengthening bilateral relations to the global geopolitical\nsituation.<\/p>\n
Megawati and Ambassador Rod agreed that Darwin, located in northern\nAustralia near Papua and East Nusa Tenggara, could serve as a gateway\nfor economic cooperation between the two countries.<\/p>\n
Regarding geopolitical issues, Megawati highlighted the harmful\nimpacts of war that disadvantage all parties. She emphasised the need\nfor the UN to take a more active and concrete role.<\/p>\n
In response, Ambassador Rod acknowledged that the current global\nsituation is indeed concerning. Australia itself is feeling serious\nimpacts, one of which is the drastic surge in fuel prices due to\ninternational instability.<\/p>\n
The conversation atmosphere grew warmer when moving to the topic of\nhistorical diplomacy. Ambassador Rod expressed his admiration for the\nfigure of Bung Karno as a revolutionary leader and his crucial role in\ninitiating the Asia-Africa Conference.<\/p>\n
In response, Megawati shared her experiences during her tenure as the\nFifth President of the Republic of Indonesia, always making special time\nfor representatives of friendly countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was taught by Bung Karno that if there is an embassy\nrepresentative who wants to meet, they must be received and welcomed\npromptly because the ambassadors represent a sovereign state. That is\nwhy, when I was President, and an ambassador wanted to meet, I always\nprioritised it,\u201d said Megawati.<\/p>\n
In addition to political diplomacy, the meeting also touched on\nenvironmental conservation aspects. Ambassador Rod recounted his visit\nto Bogor Botanic Gardens and praised Megawati\u2019s pioneering role in\npreserving and developing the gardens. As Chair of the Indonesian\nBotanic Gardens Foundation, Megawati affirmed her commitment to\nenvironmental sustainability.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always encourage commitment to the environment. Now there are more\nthan 45 Botanic Gardens. Every PDIP regional head is asked to establish\na Botanic Garden,\u201d said Megawati.<\/p>\n
Concluding the meeting, Megawati expressed her fondness for inviting\nambassadors to directly witness the biodiversity in various regions.\n\u201cMost ambassadors want to see the Bali Botanic Garden,\u201d said Megawati\nwith a smile.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, Megawati was accompanied by the Secretary General of\nthe PDI Perjuangan Central Board, Hasto Kristiyanto, the Head of\nResearch and Strategic Policy Analysis Agency of PDI Perjuangan, Andi\nWidjayanto, and the Director of Foreign Relations of PDI Perjuangan,\nHanjaya Setiawan. Meanwhile, Ambassador Rod was accompanied by the\nDeputy Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Gita Kamath.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-soekarnoputri-receives-visit-from-australian-ambassador-1778666241", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }