Payne, Retno in First Meeting Since 'Slap to Indonesia's Face' over Embassy

Jakarta, MINA — Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne will make a lightning visit to Bali to mend fences with her Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, following the damaging leak of messages between the pair over Australia’s proposed Jerusalem embassy move, Brisbane Times reported.

The pair are scheduled to attend the Bali Democracy Forum on Thursday, where Ms Retno is a keynote speaker and Ms Payne will participate in a panel discussion.

But it is their meeting on the sidelines of the Forum, which will be the first between the pair since the leaking of Ms Retno’s WhatsApp messages to Ms Payne, that is of more significance.

A spokesman for Ms Payne refused to even confirm if the meeting with Ms Retno was set to take place – underscoring the diplomatic sensitivities over the issue – but a source in the Indonesian Foreign Ministry confirmed the meeting between the pair is scheduled to take place.

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Repairing the relationship with Ms Retno- who is viewed as playing hard ball over the possible shift of Australia’s Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and who has had a hand in delaying the signing of the Indonesia-Australia free trade deal – will Ms Payne’s top priority.

Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Gary Quinlan, is also likely to attend the meeting between Ms Payne and Ms Retno.

In the messages leaked to the Seven Network in October, Ms Retno warned Australia’s talk of recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving its embassy there would be a “really big blow” that “will affect bilateral relations and would “slap Indonesia’s face on the Palestine issue”.

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Since then, the signing of the Indonesia-Australia free trade deal has been put on hold because of objections to the possible move from Indonesia.

Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita has said the deal is ready to be signed at any time – before subsequently having to clarify that final sign-off was being delayed by Ms Retno and her ministry.

In a more hopeful sign for trade relations between the two nations, influential cabinet minister Luhut Pandjaitan last week told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that the deal would still be signed by the end of the year despite the current diplomatic difficulties between Australia and Indonesia.

A review is underway

Just a handful of countries, including the United States and Guatemala, have their embassies in Jerusalem and the issue is politically sensitive in Indonesia because of the nation’s strong support for Palestinian statehood.

Also Read: PNC Warns Against Recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as Capital of Israel

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said a decision on whether Australia will move its Israeli embassy is due before Christmas.

A whole-of-government’ review is underway to try and resolve whether or not Australia should move its embassy from Tel Aviv, while a number of ‘wise elders’ including former DFAT and Defence boss Dennis Richardson and former Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston are also involved in consultations – highlighting just how sensitive the issue is in Canberra.

This contrasts sharply with the Morrison government’s initial decision to announce the possible embassy move without consulting any of its top bureaucrats. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)