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Abbott belittles spying row: SBY
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono slammed Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday, saying that the latter did not take the issue of alleged espionage by Australian intelligence seriously
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resident SusiloBambang Yudhoyono slammed Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday, saying that the latter didnot take the issue of alleged espionage by Australian intelligence seriously.
Yudhoyono, in his first public statement on the matter since the alleged surveillance scandal broke on Monday, said that he regretted how Abbott responded to the issue.
'I also regret the statement of Australian Prime Minister that belittled this tapping matter without any remorse,' the President said via his Twitter account @SBYudhoyono on Tuesday morning.
'We will also review a number of bilateral cooperations as a consequence of this hurtful action by Australia,' he added. 'These actions by the US and Australia have certainly damaged strategic partnerships with Indonesia.'
'Foreign Minister [Marty Natalegawa] and government officials have taken effective diplomatic measures while demanding clarification from the US and Australia. Indonesia has also demanded an official response from Australia on the tapping issue, one that can be understood by the public.'
Earlier in the morning, Yudhoyono released the same series of tweets in Indonesian.
On Monday, Marty announced that the government had called back Ambassador to Australia Nadjib Riphat Kesoema for a 'consultation', though the gesture was clearly seen as Jakarta's stern rebuke to Canberra following the snooping allegations.
The last time Jakarta recalled its envoy to Australia was in 2006 in protest of its southern neighbor's decision to grant temporary visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers.
