RI endorses Australia's UN Security Council bid<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia yesterday expressed its full support
\nfor Australia's efforts to acquire a non-permanent seat on the
\nUnited Nations Security Council.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said he had expressed
\nJakarta's endorsement for Australia's nomination for one of the
\ntwo seats available next year. He made the statement after a
\nsecond meeting with visiting Australian Foreign Minister
\nAlexander Downer.<\/p>\n
\"To the Australian foreign minister, I reiterated Indonesia's
\nsupport for Australia's nomination,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
The Security Council comprises five permanent and 10 non-
\npermanent seats which are alternated in two-year tenures. Two
\nnon-permanent seats will be up for grabs for the 1997-1999 period
\nand contested between Australia, Sweden and Portugal.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, in its final year of holding a non-permanent seat,
\nis expected to support the Australian and Swedish bids due to the
\nless-than-cordial relations between Jakarta and Lisbon over the
\nEast Timor issue.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's meeting between Alatas and Downer was a
\ncontinuation of Monday's meeting. The two yesterday concentrated
\non regional and international topics of mutual concern.<\/p>\n
The visit here is Downer's first trip abroad since being sworn
\nin as foreign minister last month. He is scheduled to continue
\nhis trip to Singapore tomorrow and go on to Bangkok on Saturday.<\/p>\n
In Singapore Downer is scheduled to visit the Selereng
\nbarracks and Changi prison where his father once served and was
\nheld captive by the invading Japanese forces in World War Two.<\/p>\n
Yesterday Alatas said he had also conveyed Indonesia's support
\nfor Australia's participation in the second Asia European Meeting
\nin London in 1998.<\/p>\n
He added, however, that such a decision would have to be
\napproved by all the 25 participating states at the first summit
\nin Bangkok last month.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Downer, accompanied by Alatas, paid a
\ncourtesy call on President Soeharto at Bina Graha. He described
\nthe meeting as \"extremely useful\".<\/p>\n
Both Soeharto and Downer expressed their commitment to further
\nenhancing bilateral relations.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also welcomed Downer's statement that new Australian
\nPrime Minister John Howard plans to visit Indonesia \"in the not
\ntoo distant future\". Downer also delivered the Australian prime
\nminister's invitation to the President.<\/p>\n
Alatas said that during the meeting with Soeharto, Downer had
\nreasserted a continuation of former Prime Minister Paul Keating's
\npolicies viz-a-viz Australian commitment towards Asia.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto also asserted a positive attitude in
\nresponse to Australia's basic policy of placing a priority on
\nIndonesia in its bilateral relations,\" Alatas remarked.<\/p>\n
Today Downer is scheduled to meet Minister of Research and
\nTechnology B.J. Habibie, Minister of National Development
\nPlanning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, and Minister of Industry and
\nTrade Tunky Ariwibowo. (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-endorses-australias-un-security-council-bid-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}