Susilo, Howard vow to address security issues

Endy Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Santiago

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Australian Prime Minister John Howard agreed on Friday to address concerns about defense and security matters to prevent possible misunderstandings in the future.

The leaders, during a brief meeting here on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, decided that their respective defense ministers should meet soon to address any problem that might come up between the two countries.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Jalal told Indonesian reporters that the leaders did not go into detail about any misunderstanding that has developed in bilateral relations. But Dino recalled a recent incident when Indonesia raised questions about Australia's plans to develop its missile defense system.

This is the second time that Susilo and Howard have met in less than a month. Howard, after winning reelection for a record fourth term in office, went to Jakarta for the inauguration of President Susilo in mid-October.

Dino described the meeting on Friday as very cordial and amicable.

"From my own personal observation, they seem to have hit it off, judging from their body language, their remarks and their jokes."

The two are longtime acquaintances; as Indonesia's chief security minister under President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo led the country's campaign against terror.

The two countries, which have had their share of differences in the past, were brought closer together when two huge explosions killed more than 200 people, most of them Australians, at nightclubs in Bali in October 2002.

Indonesia and Australia have since forged closer ties in fighting the threat of terrorism in the region. At the meeting on Friday, the two leaders underscored the need for their police, attorney general's offices and intelligence bodies to sustain their cooperation.

Susilo and Howard also discussed the trilateral forum involving Indonesia, Australia and East Timor, as well as the wider South West Pacific Forum, as ways of enhancing regional cooperation.

The Indonesian president used the half-hour meeting to talk about his effort to revive the Indonesian economy, underlining his plan to organize an "Infrastructure Summit" in Jakarta in January, an event in which he hoped Australian companies would attend.

Howard promised that he would encourage Australian investors to take part, according to Dino.

The Australian leader sympathized with Indonesia's efforts to get the economy back on track.

"He (Howard) basically said that he sees Indonesia as a partner and a friend, and that he wanted to see Indonesia succeed," Dino said.

Susilo is planning to make Australia one of the first destinations for his overseas official visits once his first 100 days in office is completed at the end of January.

He has defended his decision to come to Santiago, and to attend the ASEAN summit in Vientiane next weekend, saying that such summits presented him with rare opportunities to meet with as many leaders as he could.

In Santiago, he met with the leaders of China, Vietnam and New Zealand as well as the host president on Friday. On Saturday, he has scheduled meetings with U.S. President George W. Bush, as well as the leaders of Canada, Russia and Japan.