Talks intensify on RI-U.S. military ties

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.