Talks intensify on RI-U.S. military ties

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Talks that may precede the restoration of full military ties between Indonesia and the United States intensified as the visiting special envoy from U.S. President George W. Bush, stressed the importance of Indonesia improving its security capability.

The U.S. trade representative Robert Zoellick held separate meetings with President Megawati Soekarnoputri and foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda on Sunday to discuss, among other things, Indonesia's pivotal role in the global war against terrorism.

Zoellick said the main issue for the U.S. was the success of President Megawati in dealing with security and terrorism.

"We talked about the issue of terrorism and security issues ... I emphasized how important were the efforts of Indonesia's government in dealing with these questions back at home and in the region," Zoellick told journalists.

The two countries will hold a two-day security forum in Jakarta on April 26 as part of the plan to restore ties, which were suspended in 1999 following the East Timor mayhem.

President George W. Bush's administration has repeatedly expressed its intention to have the embargo lifted. But it very much depends on the U.S. Congress, which is dominated by the opposition party.

Zoellick is the second U.S. envoy to have visited the country over the past month to investigate the possibility of restarting full military arms sale to Indonesia. On March 30, two U.S. senators met with Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz over the issue.

A foreign ministry official who accompanied Hassan during his meeting with Zoellick on Sunday said that the U.S. administration was fully aware that Congress had to be convinced that Indonesia was ready to have full military ties restored.

The official also underlined that the coming security forum was designed to find more alternatives for military cooperation in a bid to strengthen Indonesia's ability to fight terrorism and maintain security.

Hassan said the U.S. administration had expressed its appreciation of the ongoing ad hoc tribunal trying the perpetrators of the East Timor violence, and that this legal process could be taken into consideration by the U.S.

"The upcoming security forum will be the first step for the two countries as they (the U.S) have already stated openly that they want to reopen full military ties with Indonesia," Hassan said.