RI to sign maritime accord

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)