[ABSTRAK
Sebagai negara maju dan anggota OECD, Australia merupakan negara yangsangat aktif berkontribusi dalam pembangunan internasional dan pemberantasankemiskinan melalui pemberian ODA (Official Development Assistance). Dalamrangka mengakselerasi tujuan ODA tersebut, Australia mengadopsi danmengintegrasikan kebijakan Aid for Trade (AfT) yang secara internasionaldiluncurkan pada WTO Hongkong Declaration 2005 kedalam kebijakan bantuanluar negerinya pada tahun 2006. Kebijakan ini diambil dengan prinsip bahwanegara maju dapat membantu negara berkembang keluar dari kemiskinan denganmeningkatkan kapasitasnya dalam perdagangan internasional. Berbasis hal ini,sejak 2006, Australia mengimplementasikan kebijakan AfT dengan fokus regionaldi negara-negara ASEAN melalui bantuan infrastruktur, teknis, dan peningkatankapasitas dengan inisiatif Greater Mekong Subregion Trade and TransportFacilitation (GMS TTF), ASEAN Australia Development CooperationPartnership Phase II (AADCP II), dan ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FreeTrade Agreement Economic Cooperation Support Program (AAZNFTA ECSP).Berdasarkan hal ini, bila kebijakan AfT Australia ditujukan untuk membantunegara berkembang keluar dari kemiskinan, fokus regional Australia dalamkebijakannya tersebut dinilai timpang dengan kenyataan problematika kemiskinanyang lebih besar terjadi di kawasan lain seperti Afrika. Lebih daripada itu, jikadinilai dari aspek perdagangan internasional, tidak semua negara ASEANmerupakan mitra utama perdagangan dua arahnya. Hal ini menimbulkanpertanyaan mengapa ASEAN menjadi fokus dalam kebijakan AfT Australia ini.Penelitian ini ditujukan untuk menjawab pertanyaan tersebut dengan menilaiaspek kepentingan Australia dalam kebijakan luar negerinya terhadap ASEANdengan kerangka konsep geoekonomi. Dalam pembahasannya, metode kualitatifakan digunakan untuk menjelaskan kepentingan geoekonomi Australia dalamkebijakan AfT-nya di ASEAN (periode 2006-2014). Analisis kepentingangeoekonomi Australia ini kemudian didasarkan pada tiga hal, yakni: 1)konektivitas perdagangan internasional Australia lintas kawasan, dimana akanmembahas kepentingan Australia atas jalur perdagangan strategis di ASEAN yangmenghubungkannya kepada mitra dagang utamanya; 2) posisi Australia dalamarsitektur ekonomi regional yang akan mengkaji keterlibatan Australia dalamproses pembentukan dan pemanfaatan perjanjian perdagangan bebas baik bilateralmaupun regional, dimana kebijakan AfT Australia sebagai katalis dalam usahatersebut; dan 3) potensi ekonomi ASEAN bagi Australia di abad Asia denganpenekanan pada potensi demografi ASEAN dan relasi investasi asing langsung(Foreign Direct Investment/FDI) antara kedua pihak.

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ABSTRACT
Australia, as developed country and member of OECD, is a country whichactively contributes to international development and poverty eradication effortsvia providing ODA (Official Development Assistance). In order to expedite thegoal of its ODA, Australia adopts and integrates the Aid for Trade (AfT) policywhich was internationally lauched at the WTO Hongkong Declaration 2005 to itsaid policy in 2006. This policy was adopted with the principle of which developedcountries could assist developing countries to leave poverty by increasing theircapacity in international trade. Based on this, since 2006, Australia has beenimplementing AfT policy with regional focus towards ASEAN countries throughinfrastructure and technical assistance, as well as capacity building with theinitiatives of Greater Mekong Subregion Trade and Transport Facilitation (GMSTTF), ASEAN Australia Development Cooperation Partnership Phase II (AADCPII), and ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement EconomicCooperation Support Program (AAZNFTA ECSP). In regards of this policy, ifAustralia’s AfT policy is directed to assist developing country to leave outpoverty, the regional focus of Australia is considered to be inappropriatepertaining to the fact that the problem of poverty is bigger in another region, suchas in Africa. Moreover, if it is considered from international trade aspect, it is notall of ASEAN countries which is the main two-way trading partner of Australia.This matter then rises question why ASEAN become the focus in Australia’s AfTpolicy.This research is adressed to answer that question by considering the aspectof Australia’s interest in its foreign policy towards ASEAN with the conceptualframework of geoeconomics. Inside of explanation, the qualitative methode wouldbe used to explain Australia’s geoeconomic interest in AfT policy in ASEAN(period of 2006-2014). The analysis of geoeconomic interest would then beestablished upon three things, which are: 1) the connectivity of Australia’sinternational trade across the region, which would explain Australia’s interestupon strategic trade pathways in ASEAN which connect Australia to its maintrade partner; 2) Australia’s position in the regional economic architecture, whichwould further analyze Australia’s engagement in the process of establishing andutilizing free trade agreement bilaterally an regionally by which the AfT policyplays a role as catalyst towards those efforts; and 3) the ASEAN economicpotential for Australia in the Asian century with the emphasis on demographicpotential of ASEAN as well as foreign direct investment (FDI) relation on bothparties., Australia, as developed country and member of OECD, is a country whichactively contributes to international development and poverty eradication effortsvia providing ODA (Official Development Assistance). In order to expedite thegoal of its ODA, Australia adopts and integrates the Aid for Trade (AfT) policywhich was internationally lauched at the WTO Hongkong Declaration 2005 to itsaid policy in 2006. This policy was adopted with the principle of which developedcountries could assist developing countries to leave poverty by increasing theircapacity in international trade. Based on this, since 2006, Australia has beenimplementing AfT policy with regional focus towards ASEAN countries throughinfrastructure and technical assistance, as well as capacity building with theinitiatives of Greater Mekong Subregion Trade and Transport Facilitation (GMSTTF), ASEAN Australia Development Cooperation Partnership Phase II (AADCPII), and ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement EconomicCooperation Support Program (AAZNFTA ECSP). In regards of this policy, ifAustralia’s AfT policy is directed to assist developing country to leave outpoverty, the regional focus of Australia is considered to be inappropriatepertaining to the fact that the problem of poverty is bigger in another region, suchas in Africa. Moreover, if it is considered from international trade aspect, it is notall of ASEAN countries which is the main two-way trading partner of Australia.This matter then rises question why ASEAN become the focus in Australia’s AfTpolicy.This research is adressed to answer that question by considering the aspectof Australia’s interest in its foreign policy towards ASEAN with the conceptualframework of geoeconomics. Inside of explanation, the qualitative methode wouldbe used to explain Australia’s geoeconomic interest in AfT policy in ASEAN(period of 2006-2014). The analysis of geoeconomic interest would then beestablished upon three things, which are: 1) the connectivity of Australia’sinternational trade across the region, which would explain Australia’s interestupon strategic trade pathways in ASEAN which connect Australia to its maintrade partner; 2) Australia’s position in the regional economic architecture, whichwould further analyze Australia’s engagement in the process of establishing andutilizing free trade agreement bilaterally an regionally by which the AfT policyplays a role as catalyst towards those efforts; and 3) the ASEAN economicpotential for Australia in the Asian century with the emphasis on demographicpotential of ASEAN as well as foreign direct investment (FDI) relation on bothparties.]