Mon, 12 Nov 2001

Australia pledges aid to S. Sulawesi

Juliardi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Despite strained ties between Indonesia and its southern neighbor, Australian Ambassador Richard Smith pledged on Friday that Australia would increase its assistance to South Sulawesi, which he described as a safe destination for foreign investment.

"The Australian government will continue to forge its cooperation with Indonesia to help accelerate the development program in the country's eastern region, including South Sulawesi," Smith said after the launching of an Australian- sponsored garbage recycling project and fertilizer processing facilities in the provincial capital of Makassar last Friday.

Smith, who was accompanied by Australian Military Attache Col. Neil Thompson, said his government and the Australian private sector would raise the level of its assistance in the health and education fields to the province in the future.

He further said that Australia was committed to repairing its worsening ties with Indonesia in order to maintain regional stability.

"Our government is optimistic that the two countries' bilateral ties will gradually be restored in the future, despite recent problems," he said.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has criticized the Indonesian authorities for failing to take action against Iraqi and Afghani immigrants using Indonesia as a stop-over on their way to Australia.

Meanwhile, Governor H.Z.B. Palaguna said that despite recent anti-U.S. sentiment in the city, the provincial administration would give a security guarantee for Australian investors in the province.

"If compared to 13 other provinces in the eastern region, South Sulawesi is relatively more beneficial for foreign investment because, besides being politically conducive, the province also has its seaport, airport and raw materials," he said.