RI to sign maritime accord

JAKARTA: The Australian Federal Government plans to sign a maritime boundaries agreement with Indonesia in Perth, Western Australia, on March 14, 1997.

Antara reported here earlier this week the Australian government would be represented on the occasion by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Indonesia by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.

The two countries have held negotiations on maritime boundaries for more than 25 years, the news agency reported.

The sixth informal meeting in Sydney, September 11-12, 1996, dealt only with former boundaries between the two neighboring countries.

The maritime boundaries agreed upon at the meeting covered the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf between Java Island and Christmas Island, the Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arafura Sea and the Timor Sea. This was in lieu of a memorandum of understanding reached in 1981 on temporary fishery boundaries between the two countries in the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea and the continental shelf in the Timor Sea south of Sumba and Sawu islands.

The outcome of the informal meeting has been submitted to the governments of the respective countries. Meanwhile, the Australian cabinet has been discussing the result of the meeting and the accord is scheduled to be signed in March 1997 during a visit by Foreign Minister Ali Alatas.

The agreement will be the first international agreement signed by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. (no initial please)