East Timor avoided in Australia-Indonesia talks

East Timor avoided in Australia-Indonesia talks

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Agencies): President Abdurrahman Wahid
and Australian Prime Minister John Howard (photo above) chat
before the start of their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum here.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab told the Associated
Press after Wednesday's meeting that East Timor was kept off the
meeting's agenda to prevent setting back halting attempts to
rebuild the Indonesian-Australian relationship.

"We didn't even discuss it," Alwi said. "That would create
misunderstanding."

Instead, Alwi said, they discussed the deteriorating economic
situation in Indonesia, which has been in a state of chronic
turmoil for more than three years.

"Investment is lagging behind because of so many internal
difficulties, one of which is the instability in the political
situation, but it will be rectified in the very near future,"
Alwi said.

The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the APEC summit, a
loose trade grouping of 21 economies on both sides of the
Pacific.

Relations between Jakarta and Canberra nose-dived in September
1999 when Howard sent troops to lead a multilateral force into
East Timor.

The territory is now under UN administration pending full
independence.

Howard and Abdurrahman have met three times. A meeting between
ministers from both countries is scheduled for December.

Howard has been criticized by the parliamentary opposition in
Australia for the deterioration in relations with Indonesia,
which is Australia's nearest neighbor.

Abdurrahman on the other hand is also facing strong opposition
from legislators over his plans to visit Australia in the near
future.