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Gillard praises development of democracy in Indonesia
Visiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard praised the development of democracy in Indonesia on Tuesday, saying that conditions were conducive for the two neighboring countries to enhance cooperation in all areas
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isiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard praised the development of democracy in Indonesia on Tuesday, saying that conditions were conducive for the two neighboring countries to enhance cooperation in all areas.
Gillard made the remarks when she paid a courtesy call to Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Taufik Kiemas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Marzuki Alie, and Speaker of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), Irman Gusman.
Gillard visited the parliament to seek political support for ongoing bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially the proposed legislation on human smuggling.
Gillard had discussed the human smuggling issue earlier in the day with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during their bilateral talks at the State Palace. Both agreed to intensify the recently-held Bali Process Forum discussions to seek concrete measures to end human smuggling from Indonesia to Australia, and vice versa.
Indonesia has been a transit point for boat people, especially those from the Middle East heading for Australia to seek asylum. The organized passage of boat people has long been believed to be the work of international syndicates.
Indonesia has foiled numerous attempts by boat people from the Middle East and South Asia trying to enter Australia illegally.
Hundreds of boat people have been held in various detention centers across the archipelago.
The DPD would help the House draft legislation on human smuggling in response to the Australian government’s concern over increasing cases of people-smuggling to the continent down under, DPD Speaker Irman Gusman said after a closed-door meeting with Gillard.
“This was only one of the strategic issues raised during the meeting,” he added.
Gusman also said the DPD leadership asked the Australian government to pay better attention to the development of Indonesia’s eastern region, close to the Australian continent.
”The Australian prime minister expressed her government’s commitment to granting Indonesia financial assistance over the next five years, and we asked her to give more priority to the country’s eastern regions,” he said.
