Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jakarta: Justice Minister Michael Keenan will warn of the grave threat of foreign terrorist fighters and the spread of violent extremism during an historic visit to Jakarta this week, saying Australia has much to learn from Indonesia.
Mr Keenan is the first Australian minister to visit Indonesia since the execution of Bali Nine organisers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran caused a diplomatic rift between the countries.
In a speech to celebrate Indonesian Independence Day on Thursday night, Mr Keenan will say Indonesia's commitment to countering terrorism and violent extremism has made it a global leader.
"We have much to learn from your experience," Mr Keenan, the Minister Advising the Prime Minister on Counter-Terrorism will tell the dinner in Jakarta.
During his brief visit, Mr Keenan will meet with a range of Indonesian counterparts and experts to discuss how to respond to the issue of Islamic State and the emerging threat of foreign terrorist fighters.
"This is a serious and unpredictable threat that has already resulted in two terror attacks on Australian soil. Our countries cannot address this threat alone."
A bomb explosion in a Jakarta shopping mall in February was linked to members of the so-called Islamic State who fought in Syria, highlighting the danger posed by foreign fighters when they return to Indonesia.
National Police Inspector-General M. Tito Karnavian said the danger should not be underestimated.
Fairfax Media recently revealed Australian ambassador Paul Grigson's residence is in the same suburb as a mosque that is an active recruitment centre for Islamic State (IS), the terrorist group that has seized territory in Syria and Iraq and the imagination of radical Islamists across the world.
Australia temporarily withdrew its ambassador to Indonesia and suspended ministerial visits in protest against the Bali nine executions in late April.
However the relationship has now thawed, with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop signalling the relationship was back on track at the ASEAN meeting this month.
Trade Minister Andrew Robb will also take a trade mission to Indonesia later this year after a planned delegation in March was shelved due to the executions.
Last year Mr Robb said one of his goals as trade minister would be to make Indonesia one of Australia's top 10 trading partners.
