Lee, Susilo agree to tackle issues rationally<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and visiting Singaporean Prime
\nMinister Lee Hsien Loong agreed here on Monday to avoid megaphone
\ndiplomacy in dealing with bilateral issues.<\/p>\n
Beaming from bilateral talks that lasted for more than one
\nhour, the President said the two heads of government agreed to
\ntackle outstanding problems rationally, quietly and in a manner
\nthat would foster win-win solutions.<\/p>\n
\"We are mindful of the fact that several outstanding bilateral
\nissues should be managed properly. I am referring to the issues
\nof the demarcation of the territorial seas, the extradition
\ntreaty, and sand mining and its export,\" Susilo said in the press
\nconference after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Lee arrived here on Monday afternoon for a two-day visit and
\nis scheduled on Tuesday to meet with Vice President Jusuf Kalla,
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nurwahid,
\nHouse of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono and Regional
\nRepresentatives Council Speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita.<\/p>\n
Officials here have often accused Singapore of providing a
\nsafe haven for corrupters and other white-collar criminals
\nfleeing justice by declining to sign an extradition treaty with
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Singapore has also been accused of buying sand illegally mined
\nfrom Indonesia for its sea reclamation project, which also
\naffects the demarcation of the seas between the two countries.<\/p>\n
\"We are of the view that Indonesia-Singapore relations are
\ngenerally sound and stable. We agree to remain actively engaged
\nin these important issues that we need to find just and
\nappropriate solutions to in a neighborly fashion,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
\"On my part, I expressed the hope that a Joint Cooperation
\nCouncil could be established in the near future so that it can
\nstart working on a wide range of bilateral issues,\"
\nthe President said.<\/p>\n
Lee said that the two countries agreed to avoid megaphone
\ndiplomacy and not to negotiate through the press in resolving
\nbilateral issues.<\/p>\n
\"We discussed the best way to do this, and one of these issues
\nwhich we concluded was, it is best to do these things rationally,
\nquietly out of the public eye rather than to negotiate through
\nthe media or what is sometimes called megaphone diplomacy,\" Lee
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He stressed that megaphone diplomacy would only complicate the
\nproblems and put off investors as they would see the overall
\nsituation before deciding whether this was a favorable investment
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
\"We want to make sure that everybody understands that the
\noverall tone of the relationship between Singapore and Indonesia
\nis a positive one,\" Lee said.<\/p>\n
During the meeting the two leaders also discussed cooperation
\nin the areas of trade and investment, technology, tourism,
\ntransnational crime, terrorism and the Malacca Strait.<\/p>\n
On investment issues, Singapore called for discussions on an
\ninvestment guarantee agreement, which would give a framework and
\nthe assurance for investors from both countries. The agreement
\nshould stipulate privileges, obligations and protection.<\/p>\n
The two leaders also assigned their economic ministers to look
\ninto other possible avenues of concrete cooperation between the
\ntwo countries and to report back to them within the next three
\nmonths.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lee-susilo-agree-to-tackle-issues-rationally-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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