Julie Bishop hails 'candid' talks with Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi
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Version 0 of 1. Julie Bishop has met her Indonesian foreign affairs counterpart for the first time since the execution of two drug smugglers strained relations between the countries. Australia’s foreign affairs minister described the conversation with Retno Marsudi as “very candid” and said she was determined to ensure relations were “on a strong footing at all times” despite previous tense moments that included Indonesia’s decision to proceed with the execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran three months ago. Related: Australia must look beyond Indonesia for cattle exports, Barnaby Joyce says Australia withdrew its ambassador to Jakarta, Paul Grigson, in late April in protest at the “cruel and unnecessary” execution of two reformed members of the so-called “Bali Nine” heroin smuggling syndicate. Formal ministerial talks were also suspended but Grigson returned to Jakarta in June. Bishop and Marsudi met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations event in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, signalling their attempts to restore the relationship to a more normal footing. “We had a very open and candid discussion about a whole range of issues and as I anticipated the relationship is strong and I believe that we will be able to engage even more deeply across a whole range of matters that are of concern to both Australia and Indonesia,” Bishop told the ABC. “Like any neighbours there will be tense moments, there will be challenges, there will be issues that we have to resolve, but our government is determined to ensure that our relationship with Indonesia is on a strong footing at all times. “Foreign minister Marsudi asked if we could have a confidential discussion and she asked if it could just be one-on-one and of course I agreed to that, so our staff and advisers and representatives left the room and we were able to have a long discussion, just the two of us.” Bishop said about 20 Australian government departments and agencies were working with a similar number of Indonesian government departments and agencies on about 60 different areas of common interest. Related: People smugglers paid by Australian spy, Indonesia police documents allege She said the pair had talked about how the governments could engage more closely because it was in the interests of the Australian and Indonesian people “that we get along together, notwithstanding differences and challenges from time to time”. The plight of Chan and Sukumaran attracted widespread attention in Australia after evidence the men had been rehabilitated after they were arrested in 2005 but the government’s repeated pleas for clemency failed to sway the Indonesian authorities. Relations between the two countries were further strained by allegations Australian authorities paid people smugglers to turn a boat back to Indonesia. |