Jakarta (ANTARA) - Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has expressed the hope that Australia would absorb more trained workers from Indonesia under the administration of new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The new Australian government under the leadership of Albanese brought hope to the Indonesian government, particularly in the employment sector, Fauziyah said in a press release here on Tuesday.
"We are optimistic that Australia can open more doors for Indonesian workers. We need to explore fields such as agriculture, mining, mechanics, and hospitality so that more trained workers from Indonesia can be absorbed," she said.
"This optimism will push us to overcome various challenges so that the manpower cooperation between the two countries can be increasingly fruitful," she added.
The minister affirmed that the Indonesian and Australian governments are currently discussing the formulation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation regarding the placement of workers in the agricultural sector.
"PM Albanese's visit to President Joko Widodo has boosted our eagerness to realize the placement of (Indonesian) workers in Australia. Hopefully, an agreement can be reached in the near future," she said.
The placement of Indonesian workers in Australia will include workers with specific competencies and skills, she added.
Prior to their placement, Indonesian workers will be trained at job training centers owned by the government, private sector, and communities.
Earlier on Monday, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had received a visit from the Australian Prime Minister at Bogor Palace, West Java.
As observed from a live broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel, Albanese arrived at the palace at 10 a.m. local time (UTC +7).
This was his first bilateral visit following the start of his tenure as the 31st Australian prime minister on May 23, 2022.
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