Australia says defense missile program not a threat

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Australia said its decision to join the U.S.-led defense shield program would not pose any threat to Indonesia or the rest of Southeast Asia.

Visiting Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer said the program was not an offensive posture as none of the countries in the region possessed ballistic missiles.

"Indonesia and Australia have friendly relations, we do not have to worry. No country in the region has ballistic missiles and this is not a concern of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," Downer said.

He claimed the two countries had reached "an excellent level of understanding" that enabled the two to settle every issue involving them through a dialog.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said his Australian counterpart had given him assurances the program would not be a threat to any countries in the region.

"The Australians assure us that this is a non-offensive program," Hassan said after he and President Megawati Soekarnoputri had met Downer.

Downer said Australia fully understood Indonesia's concerns about Canberra's new defense program.

"It is a fair question for us and we need to talk to each other about our defense policy, security policy generally, we do not have to agree, but it is important to be transparent," Downer said after the meeting.

Indonesia has expressed concern over Australian's decision to join the program, which is expected to shoot down ballistic missiles.

Hassan once again stressed that Indonesia believed Australia's stance could provoke an arms race in the region and hinder non- proliferation efforts against weapons of mass destruction.

"An Arms race would not help conflict resolution in the region."

Downer is on a two-day visit to Indonesia to attend the general conference of the Council for security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP).

On the sidelines of the conference, he held talks with the President, Hassan, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

The main agenda of the visit was to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, but he used the opportunity to talk about the defense shield program, answering Indonesia's concerns over the project.

In the meeting with Megawati, Downer also conveyed an invitation to the President to visit Australia as soon as possible.

Megawati, according to Hassan, expressed her intention to visit the neighboring country at the most convenient time.

"However, we have to set the schedule as next year we will enter the election period," Hassan said.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard had made an official trip to Indonesia three times since assuming power in 1996, while the last Indonesian president to visit Australia was Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001.