Leaders of Indonesia, Australia and Timor Leste held their first official trilateral meeting on Friday, discussing the connectivity and the strength of relationships among the three countries and the potential for greater economic cooperation.

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao agreed to intensify people-to-people communication and also talked about improving cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, transport, communications and capacity building.

“We seek to build better connectivity and economic cooperation. Each of us has the resources that could bring mutual benefits if we could work together,” Yudhoyono said.

Gillard said that there would be further technical discussion in Dili in March or April next year involving officials from all three countries.

The meeting was the continuation of recent talks between Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and his counterparts Australia’s Bob Carr and Timor Leste’s Juan Luis Guterres in New York that came up with a plan to develop connectivity in air links, sea links, the environment, telecommunications and education among the three countries.

As a first step, Australia and Indonesia have agreed to revitalize the Darwin-Kupang flight, following the Darwin-Dili route that has been established.

The three ministers met on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly early last month.

Gillard pointed out the Friday landmark trilateral meeting as a proof of the progress made in regional peace and democracy.

“When you think about the history of our nations, the history that we share, this is a development that I think is significant,” she said.

Gillard highlighted the importance of improving connectivity in this globalized age, where the future of the world’s economy will see more intense business links.

“It is also a removing economic model where a nation and a business would do all things within one nation to looking to how we can connect the supply chain across the region. That kind of connectivity matters to Australia, Indonesia and Timor Leste.”

Yudhoyono shared a vision of the development of the eastern part of the country that touches upon Timor Leste, on how to encourage more trade and investment opportunities for Australian businesses there.

Previously, Yudhoyono also held bilateral talks with Gillard, accompanied by foreign ministers of the respective countires.

“The issue of people smuggling is a continuing dialogue between our two countries. Australia cooperates strongly with Indonesia on the disruption of people smuggling, and I am thankful for Indonesia’s cooperation on that,” Gillard said.

Leaders of the three countries have learned that the future of their economy is closely related with the economic development in Asia which exerts significant influence on global supply chain, Gillard said.

Recently, Gillard released the “Australia in the Asian Century” White Paper that affirms Australia’s role in Asia’s immense economic opportunities.

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