also: JP: Susilo talks defense with
Bush, Putin; and Indonesia; and Spain, Indonesia to
Forge Defence Ties
Indonesia to Thank US If Arms Embargo Lifted: President
["...especially if the decision is not connected with military reform in
Indonesia"]
BUSAN,'S Korea, Nov 21 Asia Pulse/Antara - President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said that the Indonesian government will
thank the US government if the embargo on arms sales to Indonesia is
lifted, especially if the decision is not connected with military reform
in Indonesia.
He made the remark here Saturday in response to a
question over news reports that the US government will resume military
cooperation with Indonesia, including the sale of military equipment to
the Indonesian Defence Force (TNI).
According to the reports, the normalization of military
relations is based on US congress' appraisal of reform steps in the TNI,
including the handling of human rights, East Timor and Aceh issues, the
President said, adding that Indonesia had actually included the TNI in
the reform agenda seven years ago.
However, Yudhoyono expected information from US
President George W. Bush himself about the background of the decision to
resume military cooperation with Indonesia.
"We have engaged in cooperation with the US for a long
time, and if information about the US government's intention to lift the
arms sales embargo is right, we will fully resume activities in
cooperation with the US, including the purchase of military equipment,"
he said.
Answering a question about the plan to develop
cooperation in the defense sector with Russia, the President made it
clear that Indonesia will continue the plan without leaving the US.
Indonesia needs technology transfer not only from one
source to support the development of the national armaments industry, he
said.
"We seek new partners in the provision of weaponry
without leaving old partners for the diversification of arms supply
sources," the President said.
The head of state was flanked by Trade Minister Marie
Pangestu, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Coordinating Minister of
the Economy Aburizal Bakrie during the press conferenece.
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The Jakarta Post
Monday, November 21, 2005
Susilo talks defense with Bush, Putin
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Busan, South Korea
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has met U.S.
President George Walker Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin for
talks on how to enhance Indonesia's defense capabilities and of ways to
contain the bird flu outbreak.
The meetings were held separately on the sidelines of
the two-day Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan,
South Korea, on Saturday.
In a 30-minute meeting with Bush early in the morning,
Susilo discussed a plan by the United States to resume full military
ties with Indonesia after the U.S. Congress issued a bill to revoke a
decades-long arms embargo on Indonesia under certain conditions.
"I am not pleading for a resumption. We deserve it
because we have undergone a long (process of) reform in our military,
with an emphasis on respecting human rights and democracy," he told a
news conference late on Saturday.
The United States scrapped military relations with
Indonesia after the 1991 bloody killing of East Timorese demonstrators
in the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili.
Under the U.S. Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and
Related Programs Appropriations Act 2006 (HR 3057), a foreign military
financing program may be made available to assist Indonesia, and
licenses may be issued for the export of lethal defense articles for the
Indonesian Military (TNI).
However, certain conditions were set for the assistance,
including cooperation between the TNI and civilian judicial authorities
and international efforts to resolve cases of gross violations of human
rights in East Timor and elsewhere.
Indonesia will also be required to implement reforms to
improve civilian control over the military.
However, Susilo said Indonesia would no longer rely on
just one or two countries for military equipment as it had done for
decades. He did not specify to which countries he was referring.
"Past experience shows that relying too much on these
kinds of countries creates difficulties. We can't use their equipment at
times most needed. But we are not deserting them. We just need to
balance the system," he added.
Speaking about his meeting with President Putin later on
Saturday, Susilo said that cooperation with Russia in the defense sector
should be seriously explored, as Indonesia was seeking alternative
suppliers of military equipment.
The two leaders have agreed to assign officials for
intensive negotiations in order to set up a joint production facility
for certain sophisticated military equipment in Indonesia.
The two sides are expected to meet twice for
negotiations before Susilo visits Russia next year to close several
deals in the defense sector and energy.
"Aside from cooperation in the defense industry,
President Putin also offered cooperation in the field of military
training and exchange of officers," Susilo said, while conveying his
amazement at the capability of the Sukhoi fighter jets Indonesia had
bought from Russia in 2003.
Susilo and Bush also discussed the role the United
States could play in helping Indonesia contain bird flu, and prevent the
virus from spreading among humans.
"The discussion with President Bush was very
constructive. Among the issues discussed was on the U.S. assistance in
providing Indonesia with vaccines and other protective facilities to
contain the disease," he added.
The two also discussed the progress of reconstruction in
tsunami-stricken Aceh, with Bush asking about details of Indonesia's
recent success in sealing a peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Bush also reiterated the U.S. stance on supporting the
unity of Indonesia, insisting that he would back the country in any way
to settle the problem of the separatism movement in Papua province
peacefully.
-------------
Spain, Indonesia to Forge Defence Ties
JAKARTA, Nov 21 Asia Pulse/Antara - Indonesia and Spain
have agreed to cooperate in the development of defence industries,
Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said on Friday.
"The cooperation will involve PT Pindad (state-owned
ordnance manufacturing industry), state aircraft-making company PT
Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) and PT PAL (state ship-building company)," he
said after a meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Bono.
He said the cooperation would include developing
warplanes, armored vehicles and warships.
He said the two nations agreed to formalize their
agreement in a protocol, mainly in the defence sector.
Bono, meanwhile, said his country was assessing many
possibilities to increase cooperation with Indonesia in the defence
field.
He said with its population of more than two hundred
million spread over thousands of islands, Indonesia had good potential
for such cooperation. The two countries had actually been cooperating
with one another in other fields for 25 years such as through Spanish
participation in humanitarian operations in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD)
in the aftermath of the tsunami.
Indonesia, Spain to Revive Cooperation in Aircraft
Industry
JAKARTA, Nov 21 Asia Pulse/Antara - Indonesia and Spain
plan to revive cooperation in the development of the aircraft industry
that had stopped following the economic crisis hitting the country in
1997, a military (TNI) spokesman said here on Friday.
Major General Kohirin Suganda, chief spokesman for the
TNI Headquarters, said Indonesia had cooperated with CASA of Spain in
the building of light CASA 212 aircraft currently still used by the
Indonesian military.
The cooperation came to a halt following the economic
crisis in mid-1997 which had also seriously affected the Indonesian
aircraft manufacturer PT IPTN (now PT Dirgantara Indonesia), he said.
"The Spanish government has offered Indonesia to revive
the cooperation," he said following a meeting between Military Chief
General Endriartono Sutarto and Spanish Defence Minister Jose Bono.
He said TNI would study the prospects of not only
building aircraft, but also manufacturing fire arms as rifles and
pistols, as well as combat and tactical vehicles.
He said during the meeting Minister Jose Bono also
expressed his government's appreciation to TNI for its success in
carrying out humanitarian operations in Aceh following the devastating
tsunami, including coordination of foreign military personnel
participating in the rescue and relief efforts.
He said the Spanish minister planned to visit Aceh to
observe the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the region.
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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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