REPUBLIKA CO.ID., JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) brings some agenda in his visit to Darwin, Australia. One of them is the discussion over the trade and development of cattle breeding.
"The demand over beef and cow in Indonesia is increasing. Thus, the cooperation between Indonesia and Australia is mainly in trade or purchase," SBY said before leaving to Australia in Monday morning.
He explained, Indonesia preferred long investment in Indonesia to meet the demand, such as investment in cattle breeding instead of purchasing product only. The current format of cooperation, he said, was no longer fit the Indonesian strategy.
"Within the certain period, the framework or format of the cooperation does not fit with our strategy anymore, which is now to build food security," he said.
SBY has proposed the plan to Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to invest in Indonesian cattle breeding. Yet, in short term the visit is expected to develop such pattern of cooperation in East Indonesia, such as NTT, NTB, Bali, and West Papua.
"With this strategy, we can develop more in Nusa Tenggara and West Papua. So that we do not have to import," he said.
In his two day visit, SBY is accompanied with several ministers, governors, and the members of House of Representatives. Among others are the Minister of Politics, Law, and Human Rights, Djoko Suyanto; the Coordinating Minister of Economy, Hatta Rajasa; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marty Natalegawa; and the Minister of State Owned Enterprise, Dahlan Iskan.
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