RI to have bilateral meetings with Cambodia, Thailand

Jakarta Forum-ANTARA News - Indonesia on the sideline of the 18th ASEAN Summit 2011 in Jakarta will have bilateral meetings with Cambodia and Thailand regarding their border conflict, a minister said.

"Thailand and Cambodia have asked Indonesia to make time available to meet bilaterally," Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said here on Wednesday.

He said the ASEAN ministerial meeting would also discuss the Thai-Cambodian border problem on May 6.

Apart from the Thai-Cambodian border conflict, the minister said, the 18th ASEAN Summit to be held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) would also discuss piracy in Somali waters considering that ships from some ASEAN countries had experienced the criminal activity.

Marty said the upcoming summit would be a perfect opportunity for ASEAN members to share experience about ways to tackle the piracy problem. "Indonesia can share its successful story of cooperation with Singapore and Malaysia in tackling piracy in the Malacca Strait which has reduced the number of piracies in the area since 2004," said the minister.

Marty added another topic to be discussed in the summit was the increasing prices of food and energy.

Joint security guards from the National Police and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) would be deployed to maintain security around the Jakarta Hall Convention Center (JHCC), the venue of the ASEAN Summit.

Security checks have begun to be carried out at the entrance gate of the Bung Karno Sports Stadium where military personnel with complete arms examine each person or vehicle passing through the gate.

Checks by police and military personnel were also seen in a number of spots outside the JHCC building while officers also conducted security checks on the belongings of guests coming into the building.

In the meantime, about 2,000 military personnel were alerted at Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusumah airports to maintain security ahead of the arrival of ASEAN heads of state/government and delegations for the ASEAN Summit 2011.

The 2000 personnel received final directives from Halim Perdanakusmah Air Base commandant Air Commodore Nurullah here on Wednesday.

Delegates and parties will begin to arrive on Thursday while heads of state/government of ASEAN arrive on Friday.

"But there are several heads of state/government who will arrive on Thursday such as Myanmar`s Prime Minister Thein Sein," Tri Bowo said.
(Uu.A051/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH Source: Antara News

Posted in: 18th ASEAN Summit,ASEAN Summit,ASEAN-East Asian cooperation forum,Jakarta,Marty Natalegawa Asean