TRANSCRIPT

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Hon Julie Bishop MP
28 August 2014

PRESS CONFERENCE, BALI
JOINT UNDERSTANDING ON A CODE OF CONDUCT
BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA

MARTY NATALEGAWA: (Speaking Indonesian)
This, very briefly to our colleagues and to you Julie, Id like to inform the members of the
media who are gathered here this afternoon, that this is a very special and important day in
Indonesias relations with Australia, and Australias relations with Indonesia.
We have all witnessed just now the signing of what is called a Joint Understanding on a code
of conduct between the Republic of Indonesia and Australia in implementation of the
agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and Australia on the framework for security
cooperation or the so-called Lombok Treaty.
That is a point well-worth underscoring, first and foremost. That the Joint Understanding that
we have just now signed is part and parcel of the broader Lombok Treaty, which the two
countries have already signed. And as a matter of fact it is an implementation of the Lombok
Treaty.
Its two key constituent elements are also worth underscoring. The first is the commitment or
an agreement by the two sides not to use any of their intelligence, including surveillance
capacities or other resources, in ways that would harm the interests of the other parties.
However, apart from a negative list of code of conduct to refrain from undertaking certain
activities, the code of conduct that we have just now signed will also make it possible for the
two sides to enhance, and I have to repeat, to enhance, the intelligence cooperation between
Australia and Indonesia.
So this is an agreement, a Joint Understanding that has two key components: refraining or not
using their intelligence activities, intelligence capacities in a way that would harm the interests
of the other, and at the same time making it possible for the two sides to have enhanced
intelligence cooperation.
With the signing of the code of conduct, of course, naturally, the intelligence cooperation will
be restored in full. As a matter of fact it will be enhanced, and theres certainly many an issue
for which Australia and Indonesia need to be sharing their intelligence information and
resources.
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And in addition to intelligence matters with the signing of the code of conduct, there will be a
full restoration of communication between the armed forcces of the two countries; for the two
armed forces to be able to ascertain the kind of cooperation thats needed in the future.
Whether it be coordinated patrol or whether it be exercises. These are tactical matters that our
armed forces will ascertain and decide in the immediate future.
But the basic message is that with the signing of this code of conduct, we are back to where
we should have been in terms of Indonesia-Australia relations. And just now the President was
kind enough to receive Minister Bishop and I, during which we both essentially report to the
President, shared with the President, the progress we have been making with our bilateral
relations.
And I have every confidence, and here I am speaking personally and officially as well, that
Indonesia-Australia relations will get back to where it has been. Not only are we going to get
back to where it has been but actually, as a matter of fact, it would be even more enhanced in
the future between both of us.
Thank you very much. Thats the statement I wish to give. Id like to give the floor to my good
friend and colleague Minister Bishop to also share her thoughts today. Please.
JULIE BISHOP: Thank you to my very good friend and colleague Pak Marty for welcoming me
to Indonesia again to the beautiful island of Bali.
And I am also very honoured to have the opportunity to meet with His Excellency President
Yudhoyono and delighted that he has made time available to witness this very important
document, the signing of the Joint Understanding on a code of conduct.
As Pak Marty indicated, the Joint Understanding is within the framework of the security
cooperation treaty, the 2006 Lombok Treaty.
And that Treaty between Australia and Indonesia is an instrument that reinforces our deep
respect for each others sovereignty, and territorial integrity and our desire for our two nations
to grow together in peace and harmony in a strong and stable region.
The Joint Understanding commits Australia and Indonesia to not use our intelligence
resources to harm each others interests. It provides, importantly, a basis to enhance
intelligence cooperation between Australian and Indonesian agencies.
And we both believe that a strong intelligence partnership is vital for both countries and is the
most effective way to defeat those who would do harm to the people of Australia and the
people of Indonesia.
The Joint Understanding provides for regular contact at a high level between the respective
heads of our intelligence agencies and institutions. And it will promote dialogue and mutual
understanding. These contacts are so important as we work together, increasingly, to meet the
challenges and respond to the security issues that are facing our country, the region, and
indeed, the globe.
And this includes the threat of home-grown extremists returning from conflicts in the Middle
East and Syria and Iraq. And we look forward to gaining benefits of working more closely
together to meet these challenges, more closely together in the intelligence field.
My visit today has also been an opportunity to acknowledge and thank both His Excellency the
President and Foreign Minister Natalegawa for the remarkable contribution that they have both
made over a number of years to the bilateral relationship and to peace and security in the
region more generally.
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President Yudhoyono has led Indonesia through a sustained period of political stability and
economic growth. He is one of our regions senior statesmen, indeed he is an international
statesman. Under his leadership, Indonesia has won even more admirers around the world
and under his leadership Indonesias democracy has consolidated and strengthened. And I do
take the opportunity to congratulate the President on the Parliamentary and Presidential
elections recently held in Indonesia. They were among the most logistically complex but it is
indeed a great tribute to Indonesia that they were so successful, free, fair, characterised by
peaceful campaigning and effecting the will of the people.
President Yudhoyono is indeed a great friend of Australia. And we look forward to welcoming
him to Australia as a dear and trusted friend. Hes been a consistent supporter of the idea that
cooperation between our two countries, which are the largest in our immediate region, can
bring benefits both to our communities and to the region. And hes supported the growth of the
economic relationship between our two countries, which is so important.
And under his leadership, Australia was able to engage with Indonesia on our New Colombo
Plan, which is an opportunity for Australian undergraduates to study, live, work here in
Indonesia. And this year in the pilot year, 550 Australian students have come to Indonesia to
live and study here, including a very bright young lady by the name of Emma Roberts, who
was the Yudhoyono fellow - the brightest amongst those students who applied to come to
Indonesia.
So we are continuing to work closely together as Pak Marty indicated. Our defence
cooperation, our cooperation under the Bali Process on people smuggling, Indian Ocean
regional challenges through the Indian Ocean Rim Association, we are co-chairing a global
counter-terrorism forum and a key working group to address these challenges.
So despite some recent challenges in our relationship and there can be between
neighbours, even strategic partners as close as Australia and Indonesia we have proven that
our two countries can keep working together across a broad and diverse range of fields.
Australia and Indonesia share a very close and constructive partnership that spans the
breadth of political and security and economic and people-to-people ties, because shared
interests drive our cooperation. And those interests will continue to shape the agenda
whomever leads the government in Canberra or in Jakarta.
So Im delighted to be here today to conclude this Joint Understanding that will further
strengthen and enhance the relationship between the two countries.


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