Monday, May 5, 2008
RI, Malaysia to Accelerate Implementation of Government Leaders` Commitments
Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda and his new Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Utama Rais Yatim, have agreed to speed up the implementation of commitments made by the two countries` leaders at their consultative meeting in Malaysia early this year.

The two foreign ministers reached the agreement when they met at the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry here on Monday, the ministry’s spokesman, Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo said.

"Wirajuda and his Malaysian colleague agreed to take concrete steps to accelerate the implementation of the commitments made by the two countries` heads of government at their annual consultative meeting early this year," Legowo said.

He said, although Yatim, who was only recently appointed Malaysian foreign minister to replace Syed Hamid Albar, had come to Jakarta mainly to introduce himself, he and Wirajuda took the opportunity to discuss follow-ups to the outcome of the heads of government’s consultative meeting held in Kuala Lumpur last January 11.

Legowo said Wirajuda and Yatim at their meeting among other things discussed the settlement of some outstanding border problems, protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, promotion of exchange of visits between Indonesian and Malaysian youths, and improvement of relations between the two countries` media communities.

In relation with the border problems, the two ministers agreed that a number of issues which could not be settled in talks at technical level would be referred to ministerial-level talks. Technical-level talks on border issues were last held last February 21-22.

The two countries have been trying to come to terms on the delimitation of their maritime borders in the Malacca Strait, the South China Sea and the Sulawesi Sea, and of their land borders in Borneo, specifically between East Kalimantan and Sabah, and between West Kalimantan and Sarawak.

On the issue of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, the two countries agreed to improve their protection.

The two foreign ministers also agreed that Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda would visit Malaysia in June to introduce the members of an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) which the two heads of government had decided to form to provide them with advice on thorny bilateral issues.

Indonesia-Malaysia diplomatic relations which have entered their 50th year, were in the recent past put to the test by incidents that triggered mass demonstrations in Indonesia such as the maltreatment of an Indonesian referee in Malaysia and Malaysian claims to certain products of Indonesian culture.

Legowo said as Indonesia and Malaysia were neighborly countries, issues could always arise between them. "But the important thing is the will to settle the problems," he said.

The seven members of the EPG would be officially introduced during Wirajuda’s visit to Malaysia, he said, adding the process to select them was not yet completed.