SIGNING OF COC SMOOTHENS INDONESIA-AUSTRALIA TIES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Aug 30, 2014 (Antara) - The signing of a joint understanding of Code of Conduct (CoC) between Indonesia and Australia in Nusa Dua, Bali, on August 28, 2014, marked the normalization of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.

         The signing of bilateral intelligence protocol is expected to formally end the diplomatic rift caused by allegations that an Australian spy agency had intercepted the phone calls of the Indonesian president.

         The CoC will also help resume cooperation in defense, intelligence, and border security between the nations.

         President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was outraged after whistleblower Edward Snowden released documents last November that revealed Australian spies to have tried to tap his phone as well as the phone of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono in 2009.

         Indonesia strongly protested the spying and recalled its ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Riphat Kesoema in November 2013.  The bilateral cooperation in three key areas--including defense and illegal immigrant handling--had been suspended by Indonesia.

         But, six months later, the ambassador returned to Canberra.    The ambassador's return in May 2014 was to help galvanize talks on  a code of conduct (COC) proposed by the Indonesian government.   
     Prior to the COC signing, President Yudhoyono received Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Batam on June 4, 2014. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting described by the Indonesian head of state as "very productive and very constructive".

         "We discussed efforts to safeguard and further enhance the cooperation and partnership between our two countries, our two nations, so that we may establish a better future, a future based on the principles of mutual benefit and mutual respect," Yudhoyono said in a press statement following the meeting with Abbott.

          An important point in the discussion during the Batam meeting was Australia's and Indonesia's efforts to overcome and resolve one issue that almost distracted, had briefly interrupted, their bilateral relations, and that was the wire-tapping or surveillance issue in 2013, Yudhoyono mentioned.

          He expressed the hope that both countries will continue bilateral cooperation including in military and security.

         Owing to the agreement in Nusa Dua, Bali, both countries "are back to where we have been" and will also enhance relationship in the future.

         "With the signing of the CoC, communication between the armed forces of the two countries have been fully restored, and the kind of cooperation required in the future will be ascertained," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said following the signing ceremony with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, on Aug. 28, 2014.

         Minister Natalegawa stated that the signing, which was witnessed by President Yudhoyono, was within the framework of the security cooperation between the two countries known as the Lombok Treaty, which has two key constituents.

         "First, commitment between the two sides to agree on not to use any of their intelligence, including surveillance capacity or other resources, to harm each other's interests," Natalegawa explained.

         During a press conference after the ceremony, Natalegawa said the CoC will become a kind of deterrent for the Australian government over security and intelligence cooperation.

         "Whether it will be complied with can be ascertained only with time. However, this will be a sort of deterrent for the future Australian governments to tapping phones in the future," Natalegawa emphasized.

         "The most important factor is that we should be grateful that after all our efforts they (Australia) have finally agreed to sign (the CoC)," he said.

         Minister Bishop informed that the CoC will serve as the basis to enhance intelligence cooperation between the agencies of the two countries.

         "And we both believe that strong intelligence partnership is vital and is the most effective way to defeat those who want to harm the people of Australia and Indonesia," Bishop stressed.

         The joint understanding will serve as a guideline for regular and high-level contact between the respective heads of intelligence agencies and institutions as well as for promoting dialogue and mutual understanding in working together to meet the challenges and respond to security threats, including the threat of homegrown extremists returning from the conflict-prone Middle East, Syria, and Iraq, she emphasized.

          Bishop recently told Fairfax Media that the agreement was a "concise statement of our commitment to respect each other's sovereignty, pursuant with the Lombok treaty and not to harm each other's interests, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

         Indonesian Political, Law and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto hailed the CoC and confirmed that the two nations will resume defense, military, and intelligence cooperation.

          "We will follow up with effective communication with Australia," Suyanto said in his written statement.

         Following the signing of the CoC, the armed forces of the two countries will fully restore communication to discuss future cooperation. ***1***
(f001/INE)