Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministers to Meet in Japan and Australia
Jakarta. Indonesia's defense and foreign affairs officials will sit down with Australian and Japanese counterparts in two separate meetings this month to discuss major security and political issues affecting bilateral relations.
Each country will be represented by its respective foreign affairs and defense ministers.
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Arrmanatha Nasir said the Japan meeting will be held Dec. 17 and the meeting with Australian representatives will take place on Dec. 21. The meetings will be hosted by the foreign officials.
“The meetings will discuss three topics of issues: regional, global, and bilateral issues,” she said at the weekly press conference at the ministry office in Jakarta on Thursday.
Regional issues will mainly address political and regional security issues, namely growing concerns regarding the South China Sea dispute and terrorist threats and radicalism stemming from Middle Eastern conflicts.
Arrmanatha signaled particular interest in discussing climate change with Australia, focusing on the response and contributions of Pacific countries. The meeting is also tipped to discuss economic issues and maritime and cyber security.
Japanese and Indonesian officials will discuss economic cooperation and enhancing investment and trade between the two countries, as well as defense cooperation and technology transfers for strategic industries.
This year has been marred with diplomatic fall-outs between Indonesia and the two countries, after Australia recalled its ambassador in April after the execution of two nationals and the last minute cancellation of a high-speed rail project in which Japan had submitted a tender.
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