Indonesia-Australia security agreement

Indonesia-Australia security agreement

Australia's Prime Minister, Paul Keating, announced on
Thursday that at the beginning of this week an Australian-
Indonesian security agreement will be signed in Jakarta in the
presence of government leaders, a number of cabinet ministers and
the armed forces' chief commanders from both sides.

The signing of the treaty is a refreshing thought because
during the past year relations between Indonesia and Australia
have been frequently upset by information spread by parties who
would not like to see relations bettered.

In the longer term this stepping up of defense cooperation
efforts may be seen as an attempt to prevent open conflicts
between the two countries.

The security agreement, as was clarified by Prime Minister
Keating and Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono in Bangkok, cannot
be regarded as a military or a defense pact. From the very
beginning, true to the principles of non-alignment, Indonesia has
refused to get involved in defense pacts.

Given that principle, other countries in the Southeast Asia
and Pacific regions do not have to be afraid of any direct or
indirect consequences arising from this security agreement. On
the contrary, it should be viewed as a contribution of both
Australia and Indonesia to the preservation of security and peace
in those regions.

We hope this agreement will also be able to eliminate the
suspicion which exists in certain sections of Australian society
that Indonesia harbors expansionist ambitions. The stipulations
contained in the agreement make it clear that both parties will
maintain an open attitude with regard to each other's security
concerns.

Seen from this point of view the agreement could be regarded
as part of the confidence building efforts on both sides. Let us
therefore view the agreement as a measure designed to bolster the
intent on both parts to strengthen friendly relations.

-- Republika, Indonesia