It has been three months since Indonesia recalled its ambassador to Australia and there's no indication of when he might return.
Nadjib Kesoema returned to Jakarta on November 19 last year after revelations Australian spies targeted the mobile phones of Indonesia's president, his wife and other senior figures.
Indonesia then suspended military, security and people-smuggling co-operation, and hundreds protested outside Australia's embassy in Jakarta.
Agus Barnas, spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry for Politics, Law and Security, on Wednesday told AAP it's likely the ambassador won't return to Canberra for some time.
"To my knowledge, the ambassador is still communicating with his staff in the embassy by phone," he said.
"And so I think, functions in the embassy are still working well."
Indonesia is reluctant to attach a timeframe to the restoration of ties, which is being steered through a six-point plan.
The process was set back in January, when Australia admitted breaching Indonesian waters during Operation Sovereign Borders, the government's strategy on asylum seeker boat arrivals.
Further complicating things was another spy revelation this week, claiming Australia offered information to the US on trade talks with Indonesia.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week expressed frustration at how slowly the process is going, but Mr Barnas says it's critical to get it right.
"The approach must come from both sides, a common approach," he said.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on Tuesday called for Australia to come clean on its past intelligence activities before attempting more progress on the six-point plan.
