- Title: Australia, Indonesia hold talks on regional security
- Date: 26th October 2016
- Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF INDONESIA'S MINISTRY OF POLITICS, LAW AND SECURITY SIGN READING (Bahasa Indonesia) "COORDINATING MINISTRY OF POLITICS, LAW AND SECURITY OF THE INDONESIAN REPUBLIC" MEDIA AND OFFICIALS WAITING MINISTRY SIGN AND INDONESIAN STATE SYMBOL INDONESIA'S TOP SECURITY CHIEF, THE COORDINATING MINISTER OF POLITICS, LAW AND SECURITY, WIRANTO, GREETING AUSTRALIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER JULIE BISHOP BISHOP AND WIRANTO WALKING INTO MEETING ROOM FOR CLOSED MEETING BISHOP AND WIRANTO STANDING IN DOORWAY, PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING THEIR PICTURE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, JULIE BISHOP, SAYING: "We had a detailed discussion about the issue of returning foreign terrorist fighters, how we work together to counter terrorism as we have been doing for some time now, and also how we counter violent extremism. We spoke about the challenges that will come from returning foreign terrorist fighters from Iraq and Syria - the more successful the Iraqi government is in taking back territory from the terrorists, the more likely the risk that these terrorist fighters will seek to come home, including to Indonesia and to Australia, and it's utterly essential that Australia and Indonesia share information, share intelligence, and work closely together to keep our respective citizens save from terrorism." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, JULIE BISHOP, SAYING: "We also spoke about regional issues, the South China Sea - we have a very similar views to Indonesia in terms of the need to de-escalate tensions, to encourage the claimant states to work together to negotiate their differences. And we talked about some of the regional opportunities that Australia and Indonesia can work together to achieve, and particularly to identify other areas where our countries can achieve better security and stability outcomes." NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 10th November 2016 09:19
- Keywords: Indonesia Australia security region Asia cooperation counter-terrorism South China Sea maritime asylum
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- City: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00155N55XH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met with Indonesia's top security minister on Wednesday (October 26) in Jakarta for talks focused on security cooperation and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Bishop sat down for a 30-minute closed meeting with Wiranto, the Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law and Security, before holding a news conference.
"We had a detailed discussion about the issue of returning foreign terrorist fighters, how we work together to counter terrorism as we have been doing for some time now, and also how we counter violent extremism," Bishop said.
"It's utterly essential that Australia and Indonesia share information, share intelligence, and work closely together to keep our respective citizens save from terrorism," she added.
Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014, having suffered several "lone wolf" assaults. The country has seen a spate of arrests and charges against radicalised youths and more than 100 people have left Australia for Syria to fight alongside Islamic State.
Indonesia has been on heightened alert since a gun-and-bomb attack rocked the capital Jakarta in January and stamped Islamic State's presence in the region for the first time.
Authorities across the region have in the last year cracked down on Islamic State sympathizers attempting to travel to Syria, but anti-terrorism officials have said Indonesian radicals are travelling to join forces with their counterparts in the Philippines, raising concerns about cross-border violence.
Bishop added on Wednesday that the two countries also had "similar views" on tensions in the South China Sea, and the need to "de-escalate tensions" and "encourage the claimant states to work together to negotiate their differences".
China claims almost the entire waterway, through which ships carrying about $5 trillion in trade pass every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have overlapping claims.
Australia and Indonesia have a history of diplomatic turbulence stretching back decades, but relations reached historic lows under former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was ousted in a party coup in September.
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, who met Bishop in Jakarta earlier on Wednesday, is due to visit Australia next month. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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