Indonesia may review economic cooperation with Australia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia might review its regional economic
\ncooperation with the northern part of Australia if political
\nrelations between the two countries continue to worsen over the
\nEast Timor issue.<\/p>\n
Ferdi Tanoni, chairman of a joint communication forum of local
\nbusinessmen and their counterparts from northern Australia, said
\nin Kupang on Friday that the termination of the regional
\ncooperation would not affect Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Australia established in 1996 an economic
\ncooperation zone called Australia-Indonesia Development Area
\n(AIDA), which covers eastern part of Indonesia and the northern
\npart of Australia.<\/p>\n
"If AIDA cooperation was revoked, we -- particularly the
\nentrepreneurs in the eastern part of Indonesia -- would not be
\nnegatively affected," Ferdi was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
He said the two countries had never had any significant or
\nconcrete economic relationship anyway since the AIDA agreement
\nwas signed in 1997 in Ambon.<\/p>\n
"Only that the Australian government sent some consuls to the
\nEastern part of Indonesia," he said.<\/p>\n
To replace AIDA, Indonesia could form a new economic
\ncooperation with countries under the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) should Indonesia's diplomatic relations
\nwith Australia end, according to Ferdi.<\/p>\n
The intervention of the Australian government over the East
\nTimor issue, he said, was way out of proportion and it could
\njeopardize the plan to form a sister-city arrangement between
\nKupang, East Nusa Tenggara and Palmerstone, northern Australia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, East Java's vice governor of economic and
\ndevelopment cooperation, Mohammad Zuhdi, said the sister-province
\narrangement between East Java province and Western Australia had
\nbeen temporarily suspended.<\/p>\n
He said the suspension would not hurt East Java since trade
\nbetween the two regions had so far been in Western Australia's
\nfavor.<\/p>\n
In 1998, Western Australian exports to East Java stood at
\nUS$240 million while its imports from East Java totaled $171
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the state government of Queensland,
\nAustralia, said on Friday that it had recalled its two trade
\nofficers from Jakarta and Semarang and would review whether it
\nwould maintain its sister-province relationship with the
\nIndonesian province of Central Java, according to the Dow Jones
\nNewswires.<\/p>\n
The news agency said that in its review, the Queensland
\ngovernment would consider recommendations from the two recalled
\ntrade officers.<\/p>\n
"The review will include whether the offices remain open, but
\nmore importantly, where our future relationship with Indonesia
\ngoes," a spokesman for Deputy Premier Jim Elderthe was quoted as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
Queensland has had a sister-state relationship since 1992 with
\nCentral Java. (udi)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-may-review-economic-cooperation-with-australia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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