RI, Australia hail dawn of 'new era'

RI, Australia hail dawn of 'new era'

Agencies, Canberra

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hailed a "new era" of relations with Australia here on Monday as a spate of shared tragedies brought the once-rival neighboring nations closer together.

Following talks with Prime Minister John Howard, Susilo announced that he would press his fellow Southeast Asian leaders to accept Australia into Asian-bloc talks later this year.

Susilo and Howard also issued a joint declaration on a "comprehensive partnership" under which they agreed to negotiate a new security agreement to protect both countries and to boost air and maritime cooperation.

Susilo, who arrived on Sunday for a two-day visit aimed at helping bolster the relationship between the neighbors, said the two countries' military forces needed to cooperate more closely. However, both sides have made clear that the new security pact would not amount to a non-aggression treaty.

"In general, we agreed to have positive and constructive cooperation in the field of defense and security," Susilo told reporters. "With great understanding, of course, we have to find a framework to solve the problem peacefully if there is a problem."

Indonesia scrapped an earlier defense treaty in anger over Australia's participation in a military force against pro-Jakarta militias in the former Indonesian province of East Timor after its violent split from Jakarta in 1999.

Susilo said his nation was also "duty bound" to strengthen ties with Australia, which pledged A$1 billion ($769 million) and sent troops to help with tsunami relief.

"We are heralding a new era of Indonesia-Australia bilateral relations," he said.

He said it was important that Canberra develop a close engagement with Asia, and that both Australia and New Zealand become members of the new East Asia Summit.

The East Asia Summit, created by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Korea, China and Japan in 2004, is due to meet for the first time in Malaysia this year.

"If we are talking about cooperation in East Asia, the greater East Asia, then it must involve Australia and New Zealand in that forum," said Susilo.

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad opposed Australia and New Zealand joining the new Asian grouping and his successor, Abdullah Badawi, has been reported as saying both countries should not attend the first summit.

Australia also played the leading role in rushing aid to Indonesia following the devastating Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami.

Prior to the tsunami, the two governments worked closely to track down militants behind a string of bombings, the worst of which was in Bali in 2002 and killed 202 people, 88 of them Australian.

Howard said these shared tragedies had contributed to a "very strong personal commitment" between himself and Susilo to strengthening the often tense relationship between the countries.

"Tragedy has brought our two countries together in recent months but before the terrible tsunami tragedy overwhelmed the province of Aceh, there had already been many positive developments in the relationship of our two countries," Howard said.

Susilo echoed the desire to improve ties between the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation and Australia, often seen as an outsider in Asia.

"I strongly hope that my visit here will affirm the importance of Australia to Indonesia and will help usher in a new era of bilateral relations," he said.

Howard said he and Susilo had also signed an agreement under which Canberra pledged not to support the further break-up of Indonesia by separatist groups.

"Australia fully respects the territorial integrity of the Indonesian republic," Howard said, adding that Canberra wished to see separatist movements in the provinces of Aceh and Papua resolved "amicably".

Under the joint declaration, Australia and Indonesia also committed themselves to "forge closer partnerships between our police forces, immigration and customs officials, and security and intelligence agencies".

They also agreed to cooperate more fully in combating terrorism, people smuggling and the drugs trade.