Indonesia, Australia sign treaty

Indonesia, Australia sign treaty

PERTH, Australia (Agencies): Indonesia and Australia signed a long-awaited sea boundary treaty yesterday, establishing their exclusive economic zones after 30 years of negotiations.

"The treaty will be of economic benefit to both countries," Australian and Indonesian foreign ministers said in a joint statement. "The finalization of the seabed boundary provides a basis on which exploitation of natural resources can proceed in a climate of confidence and certainty."

The sea boundary is 3,000 kilometers long and extends from Australia's Northern Territory in the east to beyond Australia's Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

It does not affect the 1989 Timor Gap Treaty which covers exploitation of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea between Timor and Australia.

The Timor Gap Treaty went into effect in 1991 and has a 40- year lifespan.

The sea boundary treaty is the first major bilateral international treaty to be signed by Australia's conservative government since it came to power in March last year.

"It's fair, it's equitable, it's in Australia's national interests," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said the treaty reflected a strong bilateral relationship, despite past rifts over trade and human rights.

"Many events have occurred that have caused tension in relations between our countries," Alatas said.

"Yet our relations remain broadly stable because of the very same spirit of mutual respect and partnership which motivated our two countries to assiduously negotiate these boundary issues."

Relations between Jakarta and Canberra have been rocky at times, particularly over the former Portuguese colony of East Timor which was integrated as part of Indonesia in 1976.

While the new treaty does not affect the Timor oil treaty, Australia said it did finalize a water boundary halfway between Australia and East Timor.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the ceremony, the ministers welcomed the further strengthening of cooperative relations marked by the agreement.

They noted the agreement had resolved all outstanding maritime boundaries between Australia and Indonesia not covered by existing treaties and said the agreement would be of economic benefit to both countries.

"The finalization of the seabed boundaries provides a basis on which exploitation of natural resources can proceed in a climate of confidence and certainty," they said.

"The agreement provides a clear foundation for the future management of fisheries resources and the protection of the marine environment."

The successful negotiation of the agreement exemplified the way in which Australia and Indonesia could work together to resolve issues of common interest and achieve productive outcomes, they said.

As the ceremony went on, about 100 protesters demonstrated outside the building with a large contingent of police in close proximity.

They included trade union officials protesting over the jailing of independent Indonesian union leader Muchtar Pakpahan and a group of East Timor independence supporters.

"The Australian people ... will be outraged when our foreign minister panders to Alatas while the ongoing gross human rights violations occur inside occupied East Timor," the Friends of East Timor said.