The Abbott government seems to be getting more serious at working with Indonesia now that it has appointed a career diplomat as the new ambassador to Indonesia.
As deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Paul Grigson is unusually high up to be getting this appointment, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Expected to begin early next year once incumbent Greg Moriarty steps out, Grigson is coming in at an important time for Indonesian-Australian relations, with the Abbott administration’s controversial “turn back the boats” policy and recent reports of spying by high-level Australian officials. Now is also a critical time at the beginning of President Joko Widodo’s term to build a relationship with the new Indonesian administration.
Australia would also reportedly like to see Indonesia take a greater leadership role in ASEAN with tensions in the South China Sea.
Grigson of course has an impressive resume: formerly a journalist with the AAP, he has served a number of foreign posts and recently run the Southeast Asia division of DFAT in Canberra. He was ambassador to Thailand in 2008-10, ambassador to Rangoon in 2003-04, and chief negotiator of the Peace Monitoring Groupin Bougainville in 2000, reports the SMH. Grigson’s also been high up in senior embassy staff positions, such as chief of staff to the Minister for Trade and chief of staff to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Photo: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
