CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A former Australian prime minister has warned the government to expect a negative reaction from Indonesia if Australia follows the United States by shifting its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke to reporters after meeting Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on the tourist island of Bali on Monday to discuss a bilateral free trade deal.
Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview aired on Tuesday that Jokowi had expressed "the very serious concern held in Indonesia" about the prospect of the embassy moving.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison sent his predecessor to represent Australia at a climate change conference in Bali because of Turnbull's close rapport with the Indonesian leader.
Morrison says no decision had been made yet on the embassy's location.
