NQ DATE
M/ 43 23 February 1973
AUSTRALIAN/ INDONE9IAN JOINT COMMUNIQUE
The following is the text of the joint communique
S issued at the conclusion of the Prime Minister's discussions
with President Soeharto in Indonesia:
" The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable E. G.
Whitlam, visited Indonesia from 20 to 25 February at
the invitation of His Excellency President Soeharto.
Mr hitlam's visit soon after assuming office as Prime
Minister reflected his Government's announced intention to give
priority to the strengthening of Australia's relations with
Indonesia. President Soeharto welcomed Mr Whitlam's visit to
SIndonesia because of the importance he attaches to maintaining
close understanding with the Australian Government. Mr Whitlam
while leader of the Australian Opposition met President Soeharto
several times. His first visit to Indonesia as Prime Minister
of Australia enabled the two Heads of Government to draw on and
consolidate this previous relationship.
President Soeharto and Mr Whitlam value relations of
nersonal confidence. At their wish comprehensive working discussions
were the focal Doint of the visit. The two Heads of Government / 2
-2-
had lengthy private discussions. Their exchange of views was
wide-ranging and was marked by cordiality, frankness and harmony.
The understanding established between them marked an important
advance in relations between Indonesia and Australia.
Mr Whitlam received courtesy calls by the State
Minister of Economic, Industrial and Financial Affairs, His
Highness Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwon IX, by Foreign Minister Haji
Adam Malik and by the Governor of Jakarta, Lieutenant-general
Kko Ali Sadikin. He attended working meetings with Ministers
and senior officials responsible for economic development and
trade and with the Ministers for Defence and Foreign tAffairs
and senior officers of the Indonesian Armed Forces. Substantive
discussions took place on each of these occasions.
Talks during Mr Whitlam's visit covered matters of
common interest to Australia and Indonesia. These included the
prospects for intensified co-operation in bilateral relations,
the situation and outlook in the Asia/ Pact ,' ic region following
the ceasefire agreement in Viet-Nam, and questions likely to
arise in the United Nations Security Council to which Indonesia
and Australia were both elected at the 27th General Assembly.
Mr Whitlam explained to President Soeharto and his
advisers the direction that his Government is seeking to impart
to Australian foreign policy. He said this was towards a more
independent Australian stance in international affairs firmly based
on national identity, social justice, human rights and peaceful
regional co-oneration, and not onen to suggestions of racism. / 3
-3-
This broad anproach had prompted his Government since coming to
office to take a series of initiatives designed to establish
Australia's standing as a distinctive, tolerant and co-operative
nation in the Asia/ Pacific region and in the world at large.
President Soeharto and Mr Whitlam expressed the hope that
detente among the great powers would improve the prospects for
peace and stability in the South-East Asia region. They welcomed
the conclusion of the ceasefire agreement in Viet-Nam and hoped
that this would lead to the resolution of differences among the
narties in Indo-China by negotiation. Mr Whitlam recognised
Indonesia's participation in the ICCS as a nositive and valuable
contribution towards peace in the South-East Asia region.
President Soeharto explained to Mr Whitlam the develooment
strategy of the new order in Indonesia and its relationship to
foreign nolicy. He said that in accordance with the concept of
national resilience, Indonesia was fully harnessing her resources
for national development and security. He emphasized Indonesia's
wish to have good relations with all countries and the importance
of peace and security for Indonesia's development.
President Soeharto said that, through its good neighbour
policy, the new order in Indonesia had sought oositive and
co-operative relations, esnecially with countries of the region,
to bring about favourable conditions for social and economic
progress. Indonesia attached great importance to regional
co-operation through ASFAN and by means of close bilateral
relations with neighbouring countries. / 4
-4-
Mr Whitlam welcomed the progress achieved by ASEAN which
Australia considers a model of successful regional co-operation
in South-East Asia. He said that Australia had followed with
interest th-e initiatives of her A-) 3FNN neighbours to achieve a
zone of peace, freedom and neutrality in South-East Asia.
Australia suppiorted these efforts and would encourage other
countries to do likewise. President Soeharto explained to
Mr Whitlam his Government's arnroach to the idea of a zone of
peace, freedom and neutrality, based upon the strengthening
of national resilience and co-operation among the member countries
of the rerpion so that they maintain effective control of their
destinies. Mr Whitlam discussed with President Soeharto and his
advisers the prospects for progress in regional co-operation in
Asia. Mr Whitlam affirmed that regional co-operation was a keystone
of Australian foreign policy. He looked forward to the eventual
emergence of a comprehensive regional organization, without
ideological overtones, to heln free the Asia/ Pacific area from
great power intervention and rivalries.
Mr Whitlam. said that in canvassing this idea Australia
would consult punctiliously with regional neighbours and would be
sensitive to their ideas and aspirations. His proposals were
preliminary and exploratory. He recognised that new forms of
regional co-operation would not be quiickly or easily achieved.
His ideas were intended to complement ASEAN and were in no way
com~ petitive with, or alternative to it.
President Soeharto welcomed Mr Whitlam's objective of
the evolution of a widely representative Asian regiona
organization. The President agreed that, while such a concent
was unlikely to come about in the short term, he recognised its
potential value in the longer term.
Mr Whitlam addressed a plenary session of the Indonesian
Parliament. He was pleased by this opportunity to strengthen
relations between the representative institutions of Indonesia
and Australia. Mr Whitlam said that he looked forward to a visit
this year to Australia by a delegation representing the leadership
of the Indonesian Parliament.
President Soeharto and Mr Whitlam noted with satisfaction
the progress so far achieved in Australian/ Indonesian co-operation
in the fields of development assistance and defence. They
reviewed several important projects now in course and identified
others to be incorporated in future assistance programmes. They
agreed that both countries would oarticinate in a joint
feasibility study of the develonment potential in the Cilacap
area of Java. During his discussions with President Soeharto,
Mr Whitlam emphasised his Government's commitment to the provision
of expanded development assistance to the developing countries
of the region to assist them to achieve more nrosperous and just
societies. Australia's assistance would continue to be directed
closely to Indonesia's development priorities. President / 6
-6-
Soeharto expressed anpreciation for past Australian development
assistance and expressed the hope that co-operation between the
two countries in this field would continue to reflect the
increasingly friendly relations between Australia and Indonesia.
The mutual benefits deriving from trade between the two
countries and from Australian investment in Indonesia w. ere
discussed. President Soeharto and Mr Whitlam recognised the
importance of Australian trade and investment contributing to
the economic nrogress of Indonesia and towards the expansion
of Indonesia's export capabilities. Both countries agreed that
consideration might be given by Australian investors to increasing
the local content in their production wherever economically viable.
The Minister of Economic Financial and Industrial Affairs
and the other Economic Ministers outlined Indonesia's economic
problems and the way in which Australia could help. The Prime
Minister undertook to put these matters to immediate and
symnathetic study.
The two leaders agreed to intensify bilateral exchanges
and co-oneration in cultural affairs. They looked forward to
the establishment in Jakarta of the projected Australian cultural
centre. Mr Whitlam said that Australia would welcome the
establishment by Indonesia of a cultural centre in Australia.
Mr Whitlam informed President Soeharto that Australia
would contribute $ A200,000 over five years to the UNESCO Fund
for the restoration o Borobudur. This announcement was warmly
welcomed by the President. / 7
-7-
Mr Whitlam informed President Soeharto of his Government's
intention to ratify at an early date the Seabed Boundary Agreements
already negotiated bet",, een Australia and Indonesia. Both
Governments will also ratify as soon as practicable the agreement
relating to the boundary between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
which was signed at Jakarta on 12 February, 1973, by Mr Malik
on behalf of Indonesia and Mr Somare, the Chief Minister of
Papua New Guinea, on behalf of Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Mr Whitlam and President Soeharto welcomed the rapid
nrogreqs of Papua New Guinea towards indenendence. President
Soeharto affirmed Indonesia's intention to open consular
representation at Port Moresby and looked forward to the develonment
of close and friendly relations between Indonesia and Papua New
Guinea. Mr Whitlam said that Australia was encouraged by the
prosnect of close co-operation betweel. Indonesia and Papua New
Guinea as neighbours sharing a common land boundary.
President Soehrto and Mr Whitlam noted with satisfaction
the broad areas of agreement and nrospects for close co-operation
between Australia and Indonesia in international organizations,
underlined by their concurrent membership of the United Nations
Security Council. They agreed that in future representatives
of both countries in international bodies and conferences would
be instructed to maintnin close consultation and to take into
account mutual interests in all appropriate issues.
At the conclusion of the official talks, the President
of Indonesia and the Australian Prime Minister expressed confidence
that in the years ahead the two countries would work together even / 8
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more closely and constructively than in the oast.
Before leaving Indonesia the Prime Minister and
Mrs Whitlam exnressed their aprreciation for the warmth and
cordiality that marked both the official and informal functions
during their stay in Indonesia. They said that they would long
remember the hospitality and friendship shown to them by
Indonesians at all levels. They exnressed the hope that President
and Madame Soeharto would make a return visit to Australia at a
convenient future date."