I acknowledge that we are on Gadigal land and pay my respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.
Earlier this year, 21 young Australians and 21 young Indonesians began the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program, one of the Institute's flagship initiatives.
Since September, they have undertaken online learning, cross-cultural collaboration and professional development.
They have built connections while developing their language skills and global competence.
Next week, the 21 Indonesian delegates will travel to Melbourne.
The Australian delegates will join them there before beginning the next phase of the program.
Together, they will undertake workshops, cultural activities and professional engagement.
They will then travel to Indonesia for work placements and community programs.
The Australian participants will live with host families and experience daily life in Indonesia.
They will work alongside local organisations and communities.
They will deepen their understanding of Indonesian society and culture.
And they will build friendships and networks that can last a lifetime.
In many ways, those 42 young people demonstrate exactly why the Australia-Indonesia Institute matters.
Governments can sign treaties.
But lasting relationships are built by people.
By students.
By researchers.
By journalists.
By business leaders.
And by young people willing to learn from one another.
That has been the mission of the Australia-Indonesia Institute for almost forty years.
It has been a significant year for the Australia-Indonesia relationship.
Earlier this year, Australia and Indonesia signed the Treaty on Common Security, now known as the Jakarta Treaty.
That was a truly historic moment.
It reflected the strength of a partnership built on trust, respect and cooperation.
The Australian Government has committed $33.4 million to support the Treaty’s implementation.
That funding will support new initiatives that strengthen our friendship and advance our shared interests.
It will contribute to the prosperity of our countries and the stability of our region.
I also had the opportunity to visit Indonesia earlier this year.
It reinforced just how important this relationship is to Australia's future.
Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours.
It is one of our most important partners.
And it is one of the most dynamic countries in our region.
After such a significant year, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come.
Many people in this room have helped build that progress.
And that includes the Australia-Indonesia Institute.
In 1987, Gareth Evans observed that few neighbouring countries were as different as Australia and Indonesia.
Different in history.
Different in culture.
Different in language.
And different in social and political traditions.
But those differences create an obligation.
An obligation to understand one another.
An obligation to engage with one another.
And an obligation to know each other better.
Over nearly four decades, the Australia-Indonesia Institute has helped meet that obligation.
It has supported deeper understanding and stronger people-to-people connections.
It has done so through education, research, arts, science, business, journalism and community engagement.
Its contribution has been remarkable.
And this year has been no exception.
The Institute has allocated up to $2.5 million in grants to strengthen Australia's Indonesia capability.
The Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program also continued its important work.
Emerging leaders from both countries built new friendships and stronger understanding.
The Senior Editors Program and Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award continue to strengthen important professional connections.
These initiatives matter.
They build trust.
They build understanding.
And they build relationships that endure beyond any government or generation.
They help create the foundations that strengthen our broader partnership.
However, we know there is still more work to do.
The Australia-Indonesia relationship is continuing to grow.
We are deepening cooperation in defence and security.
We are expanding engagement in trade and investment.
We are working together on cyber issues, maritime cooperation and regional challenges.
As that partnership expands, our knowledge and understanding must keep pace.
That is particularly true when it comes to language capability.
Indonesian language education has a long history in Australia.
At its peak, more than 300,000 Australian students studied Indonesian.
Unfortunately, those numbers have declined significantly.
Today, fewer university students study Indonesian than when Robert Menzies was Prime Minister.
That should concern all of us.
Because language creates understanding.
Language opens doors.
And language strengthens relationships.
It is on all of us to reverse this trend.
We cannot expect to engage effectively in our region without understanding its languages and cultures.
We must prepare the next generation of leaders.
Leaders with deep regional knowledge.
Leaders who understand our neighbours.
And leaders who can help Australia thrive in the Indo-Pacific.
That is why the Australian Government is investing an additional $11.4 million in the Australia-Indonesia Institute.
This investment is designed to strengthen Indonesian language, cultural and institutional expertise in Australia.
But success will not be measured by funding alone.
Success will be measured by the opportunities it creates.
We want to see more Australians learning Indonesian.
We want to see more students engaging with Indonesia.
We want to see more exchanges, partnerships and institutional connections.
We want to see stronger Indonesia capability across schools, universities, businesses and government.
And we want more Australians developing the skills and understanding needed to engage confidently with our region.
That is particularly important given the decline in Indonesian language study.
We cannot reverse that trend without sustained effort.
The Institute has an important role to play.
This investment will help expand programs that build knowledge, understanding and practical capability.
And it will help prepare the next generation of Australians to engage with one of our most important partners.
Nearly forty years after its establishment, the Australia-Indonesia Institute remains a vital part of our relationship.
We know each other better today than we did in 1987.
But the task is not complete.
The obligation remains the same.
We must continue learning from one another.
We must continue building connections.
And we must continue investing in the relationships that underpin our shared future.
As one exchange participant recently observed, the strength of the Australia-Indonesia relationship lies in sustained human connections.
And in a shared commitment to learning from one another.
I could not agree more.
Thank you.