Australia's new Prime Minister, Scott Morrison will make his first trip abroad by visiting Jakarta, Indonesia as head of government, less than a week after being sworn.
The visit was aimed to announce a free trade agreement within the two countries, called the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).
ABC reveals that the Australian Prime Minister will make a short visit to Indonesia on Thursday 30 August 2018.
"Scott Morrison's first trip as the 30th Australian Prime Minister, according to the plan, will be used to announce that Australia and Indonesia are on the verge of signing a free trade agreement,"
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Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).
An Indonesia senior official told Fairfax Media. "I was amazed by the news, but this will open the door to a significant step in relations between the two countries. This is great history "
He said the trade minister of the two countries was planned to sign the agreement completely by the end of this year.
Officials have managed to resolve the deadlock over the two countries' free trade agreement in the negotiation process recently held in Melbourne, Victoria. This success paves the way for the agreement to be signed in September or October this year.
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had previously planned to travel to Indonesia next week to make an announcement, but the turmoil of leadership in Canberra - which triggered him to step down from the seat of government head - made the plan chaotic.
ABC News reported "Despite all the obstacles that occurred in the last minutes of this visit, Scott Morrison is expected to announce the two countries have reached a fundamental agreement on free trade agreements in both countries".
