REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DARWIN - Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australia and Indonesia agreed to discuss strengthened maritime cooperation including in trading vessels` search and rescue operations in the sea. She made the statement in a joint press conference with visiting Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after a bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
In connection with that Prime Minister Gillard said she would send a delegation of ministers and high-ranking officials to Indonesia. She said Australia would also build cooperation with Indonesian search and rescue teams to help strengthen the stability of communications with trading vessels especially to deal with a possible missing ship or sea accident.
"We are also exploring the possibility of conducting a program specializing on trading vessel search and rescue operations," she said.
Gillard said the two leaders in the meeting also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of economy. She had underlined President Yudhoyono`s note on the importance of increasing economic relations between Indonesian eastern regions and Australia`s Northern Territory.
She had also said that the two leaders had also discussed security and defense. Australia, she said, has just granted four Hercules C-130 H planes to Indonesia with a hope for closer cooperation in the future.
With regard to people-trafficking and smuggling Australia hopes that closer cooperation could be made. Prime minister Gillard said Australia meanwhile would also increase the allocation of working day visa for Indonesia from 100 days to 1,000 days a year. With a working day visa a visitor is allowed to work.
On the occasion Prime Minister Gillard also announced cooperation between the University of Charles Darwin in the Northern Territory with the Nusa Cendana University in Kupang, Indonesia. It is hoped the program will help strengthen education cooperation between Northern Territory and the Indonesian region.
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