Indonesia-PNG ties now `beyond border': Ambassador Oaisa
JAKARTA (JP): The current bilateral relations between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are in a "beyond the border" phase, focusing more on economic ties, Papua New Guinea ambassador Alan I. Oaisa said yesterday.
Oaisa, who replaced Angoea J. Tadabe two weeks ago, said that he would further the course his predecessor had steered.
"In fact, my government has policies encouraging Papuans to 'look north' -- towards Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and others -- whereas in the past we had constantly looked south to our traditional friends of Australia and New Zealand," he said in an interview with The Jakarta Post.
Oaisa, who had served as a diplomat in Indonesia 20 years ago when PNG was still under Australian rule, acknowledged that the relationship between his country and Indonesia was currently "very good," even if the two had had problems in the past.
"When we have problems, we must have dialogs... and we are fortunate we have been willing to talk to each other," he said.
He said the two countries no longer had border problems although incidents of illegal border-crossings took place as recently as 1984.
"But now, through annual Joint Border Committee meetings, we have found ways of seeing that the movement of people can be facilitated," he said.
The committee meetings, which mainly discuss security matters along the 800-kilometer border, involve ministers of the two countries and are alternately held in Indonesia and PNG.
Oaisa acknowledged that much development had taken place in bilateral relations in recent years, especially since the opening of an Indonesian consulate in Vanimo in 1992.
In 1991, PNG, which has a gross national product of US$800, exported US$10.12 million worth of goods to Indonesia and imported $1.2 million.
Fields of trade and investment in PNG which have been explored and can be developed further with Indonesia include minerals, plantation products and retail businesses, he said.
Farming
Meanwhile, from Indonesia, PNG is especially interested in learning farming techniques, such as rice cultivation, he said.
"This is a great opportunity to be developed further," he stressed.
On the cultural side, Oaisa said that student exchanges "in almost every field" had already taken place among Papua New Guinea University and Hassanudin University in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi and Cendrawasih University in Jayapura, Irian Jaya.
Oaisa acknowledged that economic ties should be brought to a broader level, such as in the framework of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
PNG, which joined the group last year, is one of APEC's newest member besides Mexico.
Oaisa said that his government has always maintained that "when you talk about Asia Pacific, you must also talk about smaller island countries, such as mine", adding that if the island countries are left out, "the picture is not good."
"We felt left out, but we are grateful now for being able to be a member of the group," he said. (pwn)