Australia-RI to co-host regional counterterrorism summit in 2004<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard (left) meets in his office
\nwith Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda.<\/p>\n
During the meeting on Thursday, the two discussed plans to co-
\nhost an Asia-Pacific regional summit early next year to help
\nbetter coordinate the fight against terrorism.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also met with his
\ncounterpart Hassan to discuss the proposal in details.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed that Australia and Indonesia would co-host a
\nregional ministerial conference on counter terrorism early next
\nyear and we've been able to work through some of the broad
\ndetails of who would be invited ... and the nature of that
\nconference,\" Downer said after meeting Hassan in Canberra.<\/p>\n
Earlier, before the meeting, Downer said a location had not
\nyet been decided, adding \"it could be in Indonesia. Actually, it
\nwould probably be better to have it in Indonesia.\"<\/p>\n
Canberra and Jakarta have significantly boosted cooperation in
\nthe fight against terrorism since the Oct. 12 bombings on the
\nIndonesian island of Bali that killed 202 people, including 88
\nAustralians.<\/p>\n
The deadly car bombing outside Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel
\nearlier this month added impetus to calls for a regional forum to
\ndiscuss ways of rooting out terrorism in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
A report in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Wednesday
\nquoted Prime Minister Howard saying that Australian police and
\nintelligence officials working in Indonesia since the Oct. 12
\nBali attacks had helped avert some terror strikes.<\/p>\n
\"I think we were able to help the Indonesians in relation to
\nsome incidents -- potential incidents,\" Howard reportedly said.<\/p>\n
He did not elaborate, but on Thursday Australia's ambassador
\nto Indonesia, John Ritchie also said Indonesian national police
\nhad stopped potential terrorist attacks with help from Australian
\npolice.<\/p>\n
Without going into detail, Ritchie said Indonesian police had
\n\"averted quite a lot of incidents of terrorist activity.
\nAustralia has been assisting very actively.\"<\/p>\n
Ahead of his meeting with Wirayuda, Downer said both Australia
\nand Indonesia were keen to hammer out details about the terror
\nconference.<\/p>\n
\"Both of us are quite supportive of this idea, so we need to
\nstart working through how we do it,\" Downer said.<\/p>\n
He added that the common threat of terrorism had helped forge
\nstronger ties between Canberra and Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The events of Oct. 12 -- the Bali bombing -- have brought
\nAustralia and Indonesia very close together and the degree of
\ncooperation on counter terrorism has been simply extraordinary,\"
\nhe said. -- AFP<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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