Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and his Australian counterpart
Stephen Smith signed deals on defense cooperation in Darwin, Australia,
on Monday, including a grant of four refurbished heavy transport
aircraft from the Australian government.
Purnomo was part of the
delegation led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that left Halim
Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta for the Australian city on
Monday.
The main item on the agenda for Yudhoyono’s state visit
is the second Indonesia-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting, where he hold
bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on
Tuesday.
“With Gillard, we have a priority agenda that we will
focus on, particularly on the economy, which includes cooperation in the
cattle farming sector and infrastructure development,” Yudhoyono told
reporters at a press conference before leaving for Australia.
Yudhoyono
and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono were welcomed by Gillard at the Royal
Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Base Darwin after a four-hour flight from
Jakarta, according to releases from the Office of the President.
Indonesian
Ambassador to Australia Primo Alui Joelianto and Australian Ambassador
to Indonesia Greg Moriarty were also on hand to welcome Yudhoyono.
According
to the President, the defense deals to be signed include those covering
law enforcement and disaster mitigation, trans-national crime,
terrorism and peacekeeping.
The C-130H planes, granted to
Indonesia in prime condition, are being decommissioned by the Australian
government, as the RAAF has purchased the latest model of the Hercules,
the C-130J, and six C-17 Globemaster III large transports.
Yudhoyono said Indonesia would pay some money for the US-made planes. “This is half-grant, half-
purchase.”
Also
in the President’s delegation were Coordinating Political, Legal and
Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Economic Minister
Hatta Rajasa, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Indonesian Military (TNI)
commander Adm. Agus Suhartono, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Trade
Minister Gita Wirjawan and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan
Iskan.
Four governors were also in the delegation: Made Mangku
Pastika of Bali, Frans Lebu Raya of East Nusa Tenggara, Zainul Majdi of
West Nusa Tenggara and Abraham Oktavianus Atururi of West Papua.
“I
invited the governors to come with me because, in the future, provinces
in eastern Indonesia will have stronger cooperative ties with
Australia,” Yudhoyono said.
Meanwhile, Tubagus Hasan-uddin, the
deputy chairman of House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign
affairs, said that Yudhoyono must use the bilateral talks to get the
most benefit for Indonesia.