The Wire

The Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono flew into Darwin today to meet with the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The meeting is the second annual Leaders’ Meeting between Australia and Indonesia. But despite our close relationship to our northern neighbour, a recent report revealed a dramatic decline in Australians studying the Indonesian language.

Indonesian has been classified by the Australian Government as a Nationally Strategic Language. And the author of the report, David Hill professor in South-East Asian Studies at Murdoch University, says the decline could have severe consequences for Australia.