NQ DATE
M/ 29 26 January 1973
PRBiE MINISTER WEODMES AGRE34ENT WITH INDONESIA
ON PAPUA NEW GUINEA BOUNDARIES
The Prime Inister and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Mr Whitlam, welcomed in Perth today the fact that an agreement has
been drawn up and initialled in Canberra providing for the establishment
of permanent and enduring boundaries between Indonesia and Papua New
Guinea. This followed negotiations in Canberra between an Indonesian
and Australian delegation from 22 January to 26 January.
The negotiations, which dealt with the land boundary between
Papua New Guinea and Indonesia and the territorial sea and seabed
boundary with Indonesia immediately south of Papua New Guinea, were a
continuation of discussions held in Jakarta in October 1972.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Mr Suyitno Sukirno,
was leader of the Indonesian delegation and Professor Mochtar
Kusumaatmadja, deputy leader. The Solicitor-General, Mr R. J. ELlicott,
was leader of the Australian delegation, which included officials
of the Papua New Guinea Government.
Mr Whitlam said that he was delighted that all matters under
review had been amicably resolved. The Government of Papua New Guinea
had concurred in the initialling of the Agreement which would now
be submitted to the House of Assembly for approval.
Both delegations had welcomed the Agreement as a tribute to
the spirit of reason and good neighbourliness which had marked the
negotiations. The Agreement, when ratified, would conclude the delimitation
of land, territorial sea and seabed boundaries between Indonesia on the
one hand, and Australia and Papua New Guinea on the other.
Mr Whitlam added: " It is also a most important Agreement in
the context of future relations between Indonesia and an independent
Papua New Guinea."