RI, US FINALIZE DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT: MINISTER

Jakarta, March 19 (ANTARA) - Indonesia and the United States have finalized the draft of a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CPA) although President Barack Obama's visit to Indonesia has been postponed, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.

According to information from the White House, President Obama's visit to Indonesia has been postponed from initially March 23 to some time in June 2010.

"The substance of CPA has been finalized and the draft is ready for signing. Now we are still consolidating with the White House whether the CPA will be signed soon or has to be done during Obama's visit," Marty said here Friday.

The CPA's substance covers a wide range of cooperation issues between Indonesia and the US such as economy, science and technology, education, social issues, politics and military cooperation.

Previously, the White House had postponed Obama's schedule to leave for Indonesia from March 18 to March 23. Later, on Thursday (March 18) night, the White House announced that Obama would delay his visit again to June 2010 due to pressing domestic matters.

"It's actually best for Obama to visit Indonesia after he has settled the domestic matters in question. We are not dissapointed. Preparations have been made and though his visit is not going to take place sooner, I think it will not be the end of the world," he said.

The minister said the Indonesian government fully understood the reason for the postponement. In fact, after the first postponement was announced, the Indonesian government had suggested to the US government to reschedule Obama's coming to June 2010.
With Obama going to be at greater leisure visiting Jakarta, Indonesia would have a better chance to achieve the things it needs to in its relations with the US, Marty said.

One of the things Indonesia needed to settle with the US was the normalization of Indonesia-US military relations.

Indonesia-US military cooperation, especially in the form of training for Indonesia's Special Force personnel in the US, was stopped in the past as a consequence of several suspected human rights violations by the Indonesian military in 1998.

The US at the time issued the Leahy law which banned the provision of education or training to Indonesia's Special Force personnel. The ban would only be lifted if the Indonesian government takes legal action against the military officers who had committed the human rights violations.

Up till now, Jakarta is still lobbying Washington to lift the ban.
"Indonesia is not going to force the military cooperation issue on the US. Our military has already undergone a reform process. If the process already meets standards the US is comfortable with, then it will be good. But we are not going to be desperately seeking any kind of endorsement. Let it come naturally," he said.