RI, Singapore agree to speed up talks on extradition treaty
RI, Singapore agree to speed up talks on extradition treaty
Agencies, Singapore
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed on Tuesday to speed up talks on an extradition treaty which Jakarta considers crucial in its fight against corruption.
Both leaders emerged from a meeting upbeat about the future of bilateral ties, which underwent rough patches in the past but gained a boost recently when Singapore played a vital role in helping its bigger neighbor recover from the tsunami disaster.
"The president and I agreed to instruct our respective teams to work together towards a good and workable agreement that serves the needs and protects the interests of both sides," Lee was quoted by AFP as saying after the meeting.
"We also agreed to instruct our teams to conclude the negotiations expeditiously."
Negotiators are scheduled to meet again next month to follow up on their meeting in January.
Lee said Susilo briefed him on his efforts to fight corruption in Indonesia during their meeting at the Istana presidential complex.
The Indonesian leader arrived from Malaysia, his first stop on a tour of Southeast Asian partners, for a two-day state visit to Singapore.
Indonesia has long sought an extradition treaty with Singapore to allow it to run after alleged corrupt officials and business people who stash their money in the city-state, a regional financial safe haven.
Singapore officials have said there are enough safeguards to prevent the country from becoming a magnet for laundered funds.
"I assured him of Singapore's support and cooperation in this matter in accordance with Singapore laws," said Lee, who stressed however that the negotiations would be complex.
"Tackling corruption is a long-term effort. It's not a problem that can be solved simply by one treaty.
"But I told President Yudhoyono that I understood the importance to Indonesia of having an extradition treaty with Singapore. I assured him that we are committed to concluding an extradition treaty with Indonesia."
Lee said negotiators from both sides needed to determine the scope of offenses to be covered by the proposed treaty and how it would be implemented.
"So it's best for us not to try to predict how long the negotiations will take. What's important is that we are serious about proceeding," Lee said.
Susilo welcomed Singapore's commitment. "I am pleased to learn that actually both of us are fully committed to continuing the process of drafting or formulating the treaty," he said.
"We agreed to accelerate the process until we reach a proper understanding and proper formulation of that treaty."
They were also upbeat about the future of bilateral ties, which have improved considerably in recent years.
Former Indonesian president B.J. Habibie dismissed Singapore as a "little red dot" in the world map during one rough period.
"The atmosphere (of bilateral ties) is good and we could discuss constructively," said Susilo.
Relations between the two countries were sometimes strained when former Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri was in power, with Singapore saying Jakarta was slow to crack down on Islamic militants.
Susilo, however, has a reputation for honesty and earned praise for his efforts as former security minister to pursue terrorists.
For his part, Lee said: "Our relations are in good shape... We look forward to building on this to take our cooperation another step forward."
Lee and Susilo also agreed to sign an investment guarantee agreement that would protect Singapore investors who put their funds in Indonesia.
"This is a signal to investors that Indonesia welcomes Singapore investors," Lee was quoted by AP as saying.
Singapore is now emerging as a key investor in Indonesia, and was among the first to commit troops and equipment for humanitarian relief in the aftermath of the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster in Aceh province.
Susilo said his government will devise a "master plan" by next month to rebuild Aceh. The Dec. 26 Asian tsunami swept away entire towns and villages, and killed more than 100,000 people in Aceh alone.
Susilo is to address an investors' conference and deliver a public lecture on Wednesday before concluding his visit.