RI, Australia to meet for ties improvement

RI, Australia to meet for ties improvement

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of Indonesian and Australian officials will meet here on
Sunday to prepare for the two countries' annual consultation
forum scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, with the aim of forging
cooperation in different fields and resolving crucial issues that
have strained bilateral ties.

The day-long meeting on Sunday between middle-ranking
officials and expert staff from the two countries will take place
at the Borobudur Hotel. The main agenda of the meeting will be
discussions on how to enhance cooperation in the areas of
agriculture, fisheries, investment, tourism and education.

"There will be 13 working groups discussing fisheries, trade
and investment, education and other areas of technical
cooperation," Marty Natalegawa, spokesman for the foreign affairs
ministry, said here on Saturday.

All of the issues discussed during the preparatory meeting
will be brought up for further discussion when senior officials
from the countries meet on Monday. During ministerial-level
meetings on Tuesday, these new cooperations are scheduled to be
approved.

At least 14 ministers from the two countries are scheduled to
attend the meetings on Tuesday.

The Indonesian delegation, which will be led by Coordinating
Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, will include
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Defense
Matori Abdul Djalil, Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Suwandi
and Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih.

The Australian delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs
Alexander Downer, will include Minister of Trade Mark Vaile,
Minister of Defense Robert Hill, Minister of Immigration Philip
Ruddock, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Warren
Truss, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Resources Ian Macfarlane
and Attorney General Daryl Williams.

Several regional and international issues, including the Iraq
crisis, are likely to be included on the main agenda of the
preparatory meeting.

"The meeting is aimed at enhancing the two countries'
bilateral ties, and the Iraq crisis is among the crucial issues
expected to be discussed," Marty said.

The consultation forum, which began in 1992, is a major event
that allows top officials from the two countries to take concrete
steps to forge cooperation and improve ties between Jakarta and
Canberra.

Bilateral ties between the two countries have suffered
recently. Despite Australian Prime Minister John Howard's recent
visit to Jakarta, Indonesia remains uneasy about Australia's
support for the U.S. in the Iraq crisis. Jakarta also has
protested Australian raids on Indonesian Muslims living in the
country.

Another sensitive issue is Australia's continued travel
advisory warning its citizens not to visit Indonesia. The
advisory was issued after the Oct. 12, 2002, Bali bombings that
killed more than 200 people, almost half of them Australians.

Indonesian also remains suspicious of Canberra's role in East
Timor's break from Indonesia in 1999 and cautious of groups in
Australia believed to be supporting the separatist movement in
Papua.

Apart from these crucial issues concerning the two countries'
bilateral ties, the Australian government honored Indonesian
National Police chief. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar for the police's
investigation into the Bali attacks.