Counterterrorism center expected before Bali meeting next month

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A counterterrorism to be established by Indonesia and Australia is expected to be up and running before the Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counterterrorism in early February, an official said on Thursday.

"The sooner the better, if possible before the ministerial meeting. We are now in the process of finalizing the arrangements," said Director General of Multilateral Cooperation on Political, Social and Security Affairs, Makmur Widodo.

The plan for the counterterrorism center, which will be located in Indonesia, was agreed on following a period of unprecedented cooperation between Canberra and Jakarta on terrorism in the wake of the Oct. 12, 2002, bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, 88 of whom were Australians.

Makmur said the ministerial meeting was aimed at discussing joint efforts to curb terrorism in the region, including cooperation on law enforcement and information exchanges.

The meeting was also expected to result in an agreement on the establishment of a central forensic laboratory and a training center for antiterror units.

Twenty-three countries from the Asia Pacific region have been invited to the two-day ministerial meeting on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5, which is being co-sponsored by the Indonesian and Australian governments.

Apart from the participating countries, six international organizations, and a number of countries from outside the region, such as the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, have been invited to attend as observers.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda discussed the plan to co-host the meeting in August last year.

The announcement of the plan came five days after the bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, which left 12 people dead and 149 others injured.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said the two countries had long being exploring the possibility of co- hosting such a regional ministerial meeting even before the Marriott bombing.