Indonesia-Thailand to Improve Cooperation in Politics and Security
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Editor
16 July 2003 14:52 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesia and Thailand have agreed to improve cooperation in politics, security, trade and culture. President Megawati Sukarnoputri announced this in a joint-press conference with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the State Palace in Jakarta yesterday (17/1). During the meeting, both leaders discussed possible cooperation in intelligence to fight terrorism and to clarify the boundaries of the Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE) between Indonesia and Thailand. “These boundaries are proving the main problem for the fisheries and in efforts to deal with smuggling operations,” Megawati said. In trade, both Indonesia and Thailand have agreed to improve cooperation in the administration of the energy and rubber industries. Indeed, Indonesia and Thailand have become the biggest rubber producers in the world. Megawati said both countries therefore feel it is necessary to intensify cooperation in this sector. Meanwhile, Thai PM Thaksin hopes both countries will intensify talks through the relevant ministries. Indonesian Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Suwandi said, “(b)oth leaders realize the need for improving many aspects of trade relations, including the improvement of international values,” Rini said. Prime Minister Thaksin said that as two of the biggest rice producers in the world, Indonesia and Thailand should be able to maintain their farmers’ income. In addition, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro revealed three agendas to be discussed during cooperation talks on energy. This includes the continuance of the Natuna natural gas project, the use of sweet crude oil from Thailand and the construction of a coal power plant. According to Purnomo, the Indonesian government has requested renegotiations with the Thai government over the Natuna natural gas project. “The Thai government has promised to review the supply-demand balance of the project,” Purnomo said. Indonesia also welcomed Thailand’s offer to make use of the excess capacity from the sweet-crude oil refineries’ for energy supplies to Indonesia. “We told them we would think it over as we have certain commitments to the Japanese for sweet-crude oil,” Purnomo said.