RI endorses Australia's UN Security Council bid
RI endorses Australia's UN Security Council bid
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia yesterday expressed its full support
for Australia's efforts to acquire a non-permanent seat on the
United Nations Security Council.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said he had expressed
Jakarta's endorsement for Australia's nomination for one of the
two seats available next year. He made the statement after a
second meeting with visiting Australian Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer.
"To the Australian foreign minister, I reiterated Indonesia's
support for Australia's nomination," Alatas said.
The Security Council comprises five permanent and 10 non-
permanent seats which are alternated in two-year tenures. Two
non-permanent seats will be up for grabs for the 1997-1999 period
and contested between Australia, Sweden and Portugal.
Indonesia, in its final year of holding a non-permanent seat,
is expected to support the Australian and Swedish bids due to the
less-than-cordial relations between Jakarta and Lisbon over the
East Timor issue.
Yesterday's meeting between Alatas and Downer was a
continuation of Monday's meeting. The two yesterday concentrated
on regional and international topics of mutual concern.
The visit here is Downer's first trip abroad since being sworn
in as foreign minister last month. He is scheduled to continue
his trip to Singapore tomorrow and go on to Bangkok on Saturday.
In Singapore Downer is scheduled to visit the Selereng
barracks and Changi prison where his father once served and was
held captive by the invading Japanese forces in World War Two.
Yesterday Alatas said he had also conveyed Indonesia's support
for Australia's participation in the second Asia European Meeting
in London in 1998.
He added, however, that such a decision would have to be
approved by all the 25 participating states at the first summit
in Bangkok last month.
Earlier in the day, Downer, accompanied by Alatas, paid a
courtesy call on President Soeharto at Bina Graha. He described
the meeting as "extremely useful".
Both Soeharto and Downer expressed their commitment to further
enhancing bilateral relations.
Soeharto also welcomed Downer's statement that new Australian
Prime Minister John Howard plans to visit Indonesia "in the not
too distant future". Downer also delivered the Australian prime
minister's invitation to the President.
Alatas said that during the meeting with Soeharto, Downer had
reasserted a continuation of former Prime Minister Paul Keating's
policies viz-a-viz Australian commitment towards Asia.
"President Soeharto also asserted a positive attitude in
response to Australia's basic policy of placing a priority on
Indonesia in its bilateral relations," Alatas remarked.
Today Downer is scheduled to meet Minister of Research and
Technology B.J. Habibie, Minister of National Development
Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, and Minister of Industry and
Trade Tunky Ariwibowo. (mds)