Australia says defense missile program not a threat
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.