November 12, 2025 | 06:06 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto referred to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by the familiar nickname "Albo" during a high-profile visit to Sydney, a gesture that underlined the strengthening relationship between the two nations.
The moment occurred after Prabowo and Albanese delivered a joint statement on the deck of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Canberra in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
When questioned by foreign journalists about the increasing closeness between the two nations, President Prabowo not only confirmed the strong current ties but also drew historical parallels.
Prabowo acknowledged the rapport he shares with Albanese, likening it to his past relationships with former Australian Prime Ministers.
"You could say that (we are close). We were very close many years ago, with, from what I remember, PM Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke, Keating, and now my good friend Albo. May I call you Albo?" Prabowo said, patting Albanese on the back and chuckling, as reported by Antara.
"You can call me Albo," Albanese readily replied.
This closeness was also apparent during their one-on-one meeting at Kirribilli House, Sydney. During the meeting, Albanese offered Prabowo a tour of the residence, showing him the view overlooking Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, which are major national icons. As they conversed in the side yard, two helicopters flew in the Sydney sky, adding a memorable backdrop to the high-level talks.
Strengthening Defense and Security Cooperation
President Prabowo’s official visit to Australia was a return visit following PM Albanese's trip to Jakarta in May 2025, which occurred just a day after his re-election as Prime Minister.
The bilateral meeting served as a crucial opportunity to deepen cooperation across various fields. A statement posted on the @sekretariat.kabinet Instagram account confirmed the meeting's significance.
"This one-on-one meeting is an important opportunity for both countries to deepen cooperation in various fields, especially in the economy and development, inter-society relations, defense and security, and maritime affairs."
The leaders also announced a new bilateral defense and security agreement from the helicopter deck of the HMAS Canberra. During their joint statement, both Prabowo and Albanese confirmed they had reached substantial agreement on key negotiation points.
PM Albanese explained that the agreement would serve as an extension of the existing bilateral Defense Cooperation Arrangement (DCA) signed in August 2024.
"This agreement forms the basis of the commitment for Australian and Indonesian leaders, as well as the ministers of the two countries, to meet regularly to discuss security issues, jointly design security activities beneficial for both countries, and if the two countries are threatened, they will also jointly discuss what steps should be taken... to face such threats," PM Albanese elaborated.
Concluding the statement, President Prabowo reiterated Indonesia's steadfast foreign policy of good neighborliness. "A good neighbor is very important. A good neighbor will help each other in difficult times," he said. "For us, Indonesians, we have a saying, when we face an emergency, it is our neighbor who will help us... and only good neighbors will help each other."
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