RI-S'pore extradition treaty tough: Yeo

RI-S'pore extradition treaty tough: Yeo

Progress has been made in negotiations for an extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia but "difficult issues" remain to be resolved, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said on Monday.

"Since my last update to the House, there have been five rounds of talks and good progress has been made," Yeo told parliament.

"But it is not an easy agreement to negotiate. There are difficult issues to work through, some of which would require changing laws in Singapore and Indonesia."

Jakarta considers an extradition treaty as crucial in its fight against corruption, saying such a pact would allow Indonesian authorities to run after alleged corrupt officials and business people who stash their money in the city-state.

Singapore, a regional financial center, has insisted it has enough safeguards to prevent the country from becoming a magnet for laundered funds.

Yeo said on Monday officials from both sides will meet soon to continue negotiations, which will be carried out in parallel with talks for a Defense Cooperation Agreement and a Counter-Terrorism Agreement.

Last February, visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to speed up talks on the proposed extradition treaty.

Yeo was upbeat on overall bilateral ties, saying that from 2001-2004, Singapore was consistently ranked among the top five investors in Indonesia.

Singapore, whose armed forces gave a crucial lifeline to Indonesia's Aceh province in the immediate aftermath of the December tsunami disaster, is moving forward with assistance in the post-tsunami rehabilitation, Yeo said.

Among these projects is the construction of a pier in Meulaboh, the biggest Indonesian town nearest to the epicenter of the massive Indian Ocean earthquake and giant waves which killed 131,000 in Aceh province. --AFP