Australia pledges aid to S. Sulawesi

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.