Half of Australia's Cabinet in RI to iron out differences<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Australia expressed common concern over the
\nworsening nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula and considered
\nmeasures to deal with the matter.<\/p>\n
Visiting Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer said on
\nMonday after meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri that
\nconcerted efforts were needed to end the dispute.<\/p>\n
\"We mutually expressed our common concern about the situation
\nthat is progressively getting worse on the peninsula,\" Downer
\nsaid after the meeting at the President's residence on Jl. Teuku
\nUmar in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian foreign minister and I will seek ways we might
\nbe able to work together to address the problem in North Korea,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda agreed with his
\ncounterpart's statement, saying that Australia had sent a team to
\nPyongyang before Indonesia dispatched special envoy Nana Sutresna
\nto the country.<\/p>\n
\"Australia shares a common concern with us regarding the
\nsituation in North Korea. We will look for measures that we can
\ncooperate on in addressing the problem,\" Hassan said.<\/p>\n
The North Korean standoff with the United States regarding the
\npossible development of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang could become
\nthe world's next crisis situation after Iraq.<\/p>\n
Washington has refused to negotiate with North Korea until it
\nhas disbanded its nuclear program, a demand that Pyongyang has
\nnot bowed to.<\/p>\n
The latest developments in the situation were joint military
\nexercises between the U.S. and South Korea, and the deployment of
\nAmerican bombers to Guam.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has attempted to facilitate a dialog between the two
\nsides, with Megawati offering Jakarta's services during a meeting
\nwith North Korean number two Kim Yong-nam on the sidelines of the
\nNon-Aligned Movement summit in Kuala Lumpur last month.<\/p>\n
Hassan earlier said that so far the two sides had yet to see
\nthe importance of dialog, leaving Indonesia with no choice but to
\nwait for further developments.<\/p>\n
Downer is leading a group of seven Australian ministers to the
\nAustralia-Indonesian Ministerial Forum, slated to start on
\nTuesday. The forum is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations
\nbetween the two countries and ironing out their differences over
\nIraq.<\/p>\n
\"We have made it clear that confrontation in Iraq is not
\nconfrontation against Islam, but against Iraq's failure to
\ncooperate with the UN to disarm itself,\" Downer said.<\/p>\n
He said Australia would use the forum to express its hope for
\ncooperation with Indonesia in many fields, particularly in the
\neconomic sector.<\/p>\n
Downer said the presence of 400 Australian companies here
\nindicated Indonesia's importance to the Australian business
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
The two governments, he said, are ready to engage in broader
\neconomic cooperation, including in agriculture, fisheries and
\ntourism.<\/p>\n
Downer also conveyed the Australian government's and people's
\nappreciation for the Indonesian authorities investigation of the
\nOct. 12 Bali bombings and the cooperation Jakarta has showed in
\ncurbing people smuggling.<\/p>\n
Hassan underlined that the presence of almost half of the
\nAustralian Cabinet here for the forum signaled Canberra's
\nintention to improve the often rocky relations between the two
\ncountries, despite their many differences.<\/p>\n
The ministerial meeting was preceded by a meeting on Monday of
\nsenior officials from the two countries. During the meeting,
\nofficials discussed technical cooperation in 13 fields, including
\ntrade, investment, fisheries, agriculture and education.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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