RI, Australia to meet for ties improvement<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of Indonesian and Australian officials will meet here on
\nSunday to prepare for the two countries' annual consultation
\nforum scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, with the aim of forging
\ncooperation in different fields and resolving crucial issues that
\nhave strained bilateral ties.<\/p>\n
The day-long meeting on Sunday between middle-ranking
\nofficials and expert staff from the two countries will take place
\nat the Borobudur Hotel. The main agenda of the meeting will be
\ndiscussions on how to enhance cooperation in the areas of
\nagriculture, fisheries, investment, tourism and education.<\/p>\n
\"There will be 13 working groups discussing fisheries, trade
\nand investment, education and other areas of technical
\ncooperation,\" Marty Natalegawa, spokesman for the foreign affairs
\nministry, said here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
All of the issues discussed during the preparatory meeting
\nwill be brought up for further discussion when senior officials
\nfrom the countries meet on Monday. During ministerial-level
\nmeetings on Tuesday, these new cooperations are scheduled to be
\napproved.<\/p>\n
At least 14 ministers from the two countries are scheduled to
\nattend the meetings on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian delegation, which will be led by Coordinating
\nMinister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, will include
\nMinister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Defense
\nMatori Abdul Djalil, Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Suwandi
\nand Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih.<\/p>\n
The Australian delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nAlexander Downer, will include Minister of Trade Mark Vaile,
\nMinister of Defense Robert Hill, Minister of Immigration Philip
\nRuddock, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Warren
\nTruss, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Resources Ian Macfarlane
\nand Attorney General Daryl Williams.<\/p>\n
Several regional and international issues, including the Iraq
\ncrisis, are likely to be included on the main agenda of the
\npreparatory meeting.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting is aimed at enhancing the two countries'
\nbilateral ties, and the Iraq crisis is among the crucial issues
\nexpected to be discussed,\" Marty said.<\/p>\n
The consultation forum, which began in 1992, is a major event
\nthat allows top officials from the two countries to take concrete
\nsteps to forge cooperation and improve ties between Jakarta and
\nCanberra.<\/p>\n
Bilateral ties between the two countries have suffered
\nrecently. Despite Australian Prime Minister John Howard's recent
\nvisit to Jakarta, Indonesia remains uneasy about Australia's
\nsupport for the U.S. in the Iraq crisis. Jakarta also has
\nprotested Australian raids on Indonesian Muslims living in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Another sensitive issue is Australia's continued travel
\nadvisory warning its citizens not to visit Indonesia. The
\nadvisory was issued after the Oct. 12, 2002, Bali bombings that
\nkilled more than 200 people, almost half of them Australians.<\/p>\n
Indonesian also remains suspicious of Canberra's role in East
\nTimor's break from Indonesia in 1999 and cautious of groups in
\nAustralia believed to be supporting the separatist movement in
\nPapua.<\/p>\n
Apart from these crucial issues concerning the two countries'
\nbilateral ties, the Australian government honored Indonesian
\nNational Police chief. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar for the police's
\ninvestigation into the Bali attacks.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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