RI enthusiastic about security deal: Minister

RI enthusiastic about security deal: Minister

CANBERRA (AFP): Indonesia remains enthusiastic about a security treaty with Australia although it had yet to ratify the document, Defense Minister Ian McLachlan said yesterday.

McLachlan was questioned in a television interview about why Indonesia had yet to ratify the treaty, which was worked out in secret by the former Labor government and unveiled in December.

"I don't know the answer to that, but I can tell you that in my conversation with President Soeharto he expressed enthusiasm for it," he said.

It was possible that the Indonesians were deciding whether it should be ratified through the parliamentary system or signed by the president, he said.

"But I'm not worried about the fact that they've cooled off on it in any way at all because we've had expressions both via (Indonesian Foreign Minister) Mr. (Ali) Alatas and via the president in the opposite direction," McLachlan said.

The accord commits the two countries to consultations when either or both is adversely challenged and to consider joint responses.

It also promotes security co-operation and ministerial consultations over common security interests. Australia has ratified the treaty.

The conservative coalition which won power in March has said that it would honor the security treaty despite objections to the way it had been introduced.