From 4-8 September 2024, the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, through Invest and Trade Western Australia, welcomed a 17-member delegation to Perth, which was led by Dr Bobby Soemiarsono, Acting Secretary of the East Java Provincial Government.

Western Australia (WA) and East Java have shared a sister-state relationship since 1990, fostering cooperation through people-to-people connections, trade, and cultural collaboration. The Sister-State Agreement, which formalises this partnership, was renewed in Surabaya, East Java, in September 2023 during the Indonesia Connect Roadshow led by WA Government.

The visit in early September brought together senior representatives from both WA and East Java to discuss planned activities under the renewed sister-state relationship, exploring ways to strengthen ties, and plan commemorations for the 35th anniversary of this important partnership in 2025.

The program also included a high-level joint working group meeting with members of the WA Government, the Indonesian Consulate-General in Perth, and the East Java Provincial Government.

Other key events held during the 4-day visit included a meeting and lunch with Hon. Jackie Jarvis, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Forestry; Small Business at Parliament House, a business roundtable hosted by Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, and an Invest and Trade WA-hosted Industry Dinner. The delegation also met with Screenwest and visited Uluu, a Perth-based business which has created an eco-friendly alternative to plastic using seaweed.

Western Australia’s strategic partnerships, including its sister-state relationships, play a vital role in strengthening WA’s engagement with Asia, which align with the Government’s Asian Engagement Strategy to 2030 - Our Future with Asia.

Learn more about the strategy on the WA Government website.

Published on: 01 October 2024