FOR PRESS: P! 7M's No. 5G/ 72
JOINT COMMUNIQUE
Issued at the Coniclusion of thne State Visit to Indonesia by the Prime
Minister Of Australia, The Rt f. Hon. Wi lliam, ? Ic4ahon, CH, MP.
From 5 to 8 June, 1972.
At the invitation of President Soeharto, the Prime Minister
of Australia, The Rt Hon. William : c ahon, CW, MP, made a State visit
from 5 to 3 June 19~ 72.
The Prime Mdinister was accomn-aniJed by thE! " Iinister for Foreign
Affairs, The Kon. Nigel Bokqe. n, QC, -IP, T:~ he A. 3si!-tant Minister Assisting
thle Prime Minister, The 11on. J. D. V. Dobie, MP, andi senior officials of
the Australian Government.
During his stay, '-inistear Wc-'-_ l. ahon held discussions with
President Soeharto. HeI also addressod th" e Indonesian Parliament.
The President and tihe: Prime ;' Minister had friendly and detailed
discussions on racasuras Nwhich. arE being tknby booth Indonesia and
Australia. to deopen the fric-: ndship b~ twa7, en the two countries and to
strengthen co-operation in,-th e conomic, cultural, def rice and political
fi 1ld S. T2he Prizesident and th,-e Prime Minister reaffirmed their recognition
of tie iit-ortanco for Indnoesia and k'ustraJlia of Pc: tablishing an
enduring and soundly ' bascd relationship as neighbours in thle Asia-Facific
region. Tney exnressed the belie f tha: t Indonesia and Australia. are
moving,, into a ph'ase where it is i -creasinqly possible to put substance
and content in-to that rzelationsh
The Pres-4idcnt and the Prima Minister agreed that their discussions
in Djakarta, following cn those they had previously hel. d in
Canberra., had cenable: d them to man out a programm~ e of co-opeDration
for the years im iteyahead. The2 basis of this relationshin was
a deepening mutual unzlerstandinq of the distinctive characteristics of
thea Indonesia.-and Australian nations and oeoriles, a realistic arpreciat'-
ion ofIL common inters;, os and an' increasing recognition of the ways
thev could complement a-: nd helr' each othcr.
In thie fie: ld of e _ conomic co-operation, the Prime Minister
informed the President taat the u-. tralian Go~ vernment had deci-dead
that at thle end of the current thri-. e-ye ar prograr'me of economic and
technical ansqistance in June 1973, a furthor throe-year programme would
be c.-tablished -to valuce of $ A69million, on a grant basis, thus
assuring the Indonesian Govornment that Australian aid would continue
to carow as it had in the past. Details of the now programmew w.. ould be
det;; rmin A in close consultation between the Australian and Indonesian
Governmonts and would take, full account of the aid requirements of
Ixidone si. a. Tho President and the Prime Plinigter agreed to, exp~ lore ways
and means of further promotinq and expanding trado between the two
countries. The Prime Ainiste--r informed thoe President that the -Deputy
Primce Minister and " lnisfter for Trade and Industry, ilr. ANnthony,
would shrrtly be visiting Djakarta for dretaled trade discuss~-ons.
The PrC: sident and the Prime tMinistor further agrod. on the desira-. 1bility
of facilitating Australian private investment in Indonesia. Thr-
Pr-esident ex~ rossod his apprreciat1--ion of Austral~ ia' s efforts in the
field of c-onomic co-operation and assistance.
The Presidaz. t and tlv rime 7Udiistor discussed ,. ays of
developing cultural cxchang~ es betwt1: en their two countries as a meians
of promoting grcatar inutual undarstanding. One speacific proposal which
they agreed to follow uDi was the esta. blishment o-f a cultural and
language centre in Djakarta which would prcmotc cultural exchanges
botwoen the tw() cc.; u-tr~ i!. s anid pTr ovide library and language training
facilities. The-centr( e would he-lp ani support Colom-o Plan and student
programme~ zs and would be availabl-a for botA Australian and Indonesian
cultural purposas. The Prosid and the Prime tinister had p.. roduct-iveicsso:
on security questions of mutual concern and th-s. e were continued
: ewon tho Prime Miinister and his advisers and other members of -the
Indonesian Government. The President and the Prime Ulinistor reaffirmed
that Indonesia and 7Wst. ralia were not thinking in terms of any kind of
defence pact or alliance. The President and tePrime lf-inister agreed
that, in the fiold of defence co-o7peration, their approach wias to look
for sensible:, practical ways in which. two friendly neighbours could
share their experiences and technical exporti7, e -ind pursuc
specific common objectives in accordance tith their rs-spective national
interests. rLhe Prime Minister informed the President that where the
Au'sral:;, n Government was able to help, it would bec gTlad to do so. He
informed0 the President that for this nurnoso thre . stralian Govc,' rnment
had decided to establish a throo year programme of tccbnical and
defenco assistance, commuencing 1 July .1972, to a value of $ A20 million
for the financing of currentl and. future projects agreed between the
two govornmonts. The Presi % ant and theI rrinic Minister and other Indonesian
and istraliar. rniisters and officials ccncerned hold informative
and wide-ranging talks. Am. ong the subjects discussed were President
Nix-n' 7 recent visits to Peking and Moscow, and their impact on the
futurc. srscurity, devaleopmont an14. , welfare of the South-East Asian region.
The talks underlined once agq: ain the closze identity of views between the
two governments on many rzeqIcn21 and intarnational questions, and
their common concern for the peace, stability and w. elfare of South-
L'ast Asia. The Prcsident and the Prime ! Ministar reaffirmed that both
governments will continua _-fforts to stILrengti* 1nn national and reqi onal
resilience, that is, -the will and the ability! of individual coiintrigs,
so far as It is, witinin th-eir capability, to rdefend their indreixc ndcnc.
by their own efforts, and in the spirit of regional co-opecratio-n.
The PrE.-sidant and the Prime >. Iinister expressed thceir de
concern over thec continuing conflict in Indo-C. hina which could end~ anger
pfeace and stability within the region. Tho President and the Prime
Minister agreed upon the need for continued efforts to bring about a
just and peaceful settlement.
The President cxpri&. ssed the Indonesi. an Governm-ent's viewi that
understanding and cordial rela2tions shoul. d bc developed batweren
Indonesia and Papua New Guinrea as tho peoope of the latter mov,. toward:,
internal self -government and indepcendanco, The Prime 11Uinister welcomed
this , expression of view by the President.
The Preside-_ nt and th Prime .', inister confirmed that j" ustralia
and Indonesia would support cachk-other's candidaturcs for the sec. urity
council of the Unitad NIations.
It was acyre. ed that o-litical consultation would continue both
through the Embhassies in Djakarta and Canberra and at the: first annual
talks between Foreign Affairs . officials to be held in Djakarta in the
latter part of August.
During his visit to tho Indone sian Parliament on 8 June, the
Prime., Hinister informed the Speaker thlat the ) rcsiding officers of the
A. ustralian Parliame. nt wo, uld welcome a visit to Austraia by the Speake r
and a delegat-i( on of the Indonesian Parliament at a date to b-e mutually
agreed. Tho President and tePrime M1inister exrressed their
s ati sf act ion that re2. ations between 1% ustralia and Indonesia are) on
excellent terms and now cover manv fioldi of common interest. They
reaffirmad thrat the,. Indoncsian and Australian Governmants and oreoplas
have the same basic goals and objectives for the region in which both
live. Before leaving, thec Prime Tiister inforned the Pre~ sident that,
as had becen aqrzu-d in Canberra during thfz President's visit,
negotiations would soon be resumed on the seabed boundaries which1 are
still unsettled and on the further settlemont of thce border betwen
Aest Irian and Papua New Guinea. The President and the Primii " inister
reaffirmed the agreement already signed between the two governments
concerning the delimination of cartain saabod boundaries, and the
result of the joint surveys regarding the border between West Irian and
Papua New Guinea.
Me-i Primc Ministcr e xnressed his deep gratitude and si ncere
appreciation for the warm and hosnitable rece * ption accorded to him
and the members of his party during their visit to Indcincsia by the
government and pecnolo of Indonesia. Be,, th Leaders -xressed their
satisfaction that this visit had further strengthened the friendship
and mutual understanding between the:-ir two countrice-s.
09 June, 1972.