Foreign minister's Australian visit seeks to promote mutual interests

The recently completed visit to Australia and New Zealand from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda was aimed at boosting relationships and cooperation in the West Pacific region.

As the first official of Indonesia's new government to visit Australia, it was hoped that Wirajuda could improve the recently deteriorating bilateral relations, which had appeared to improve with Gus Dur's visit to Australia in the final days of his presidency.

Last August, relations between the two countries became tense when Canberra denied entry to Middle Eastern asylum seekers, many of whom departed from Indonesia.

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard insisted Indonesia, not Australia, be responsible for the asylum seekers, who had been rescued by a Norwegian vessel in August from an Indonesian ferry.

Diplomatic relations stagnated and President Megawati even refused a phone call from Howard.

In September, Australia's foreign minister Alexander Downer and two colleagues visited Jakarta to urge Indonesia to deal with the problem of human smuggling.

This has worsened bilateral relations, which collapsed following the 1999 appointment of Australia to lead the United Nations peace-keeping troops in East Timor, a former Indonesian province.

So, Wirajuda's Australian visit may ease bilateral tension. An international conference on migration will be jointly held by both countries in February 2002. Clearly, direct contact is much better than "megaphone diplomacy", a term Wirajuda is fond of using.

The two countries must realize that the global economic slowdown and uncertainty following the Sept. 11 tragedy in the US will intensify the flow of illegal migrants from Central Asia and the Middle East.

Naturally, prosperous Australia is their destination. As Indonesia remains chaotic, illegal immigrants will, naturally, seize the loopholes to go to Australia through Indonesia.

The two foreign ministers have agreed that both countries will take part in a campaign to prevent Indonesians from being involved in human smuggling and have reminded fishermen and crews of ships of the criminal consequences if they are discovered to have helped illegal migrants enter Australia.

This ministerial discussion must be fruitful and may pave the way for a summit meeting between the two countries early next year, perhaps in Jakarta.

A good neighborly relationship is not always free of problems. However, if it is based on good understanding and trust, problems can always be solved. Then, no more statements to worsen the situation need to be made every time the relationship goes sour.

-- Kompas, Jakarta