ID :
35257
Fri, 12/12/2008 - 14:35
Auther :

INDONESIA WANTS CORDIAL RELATIONS TO CONTINUE AFTER PAK LAH

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

JAKARTA, Dec 11 (Bernama) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stressed that Indonesia wants the existing cordial relations and cooperation with Malaysia to continue after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi steps down.

Abdullah said Susilo had expressed this wish during their discussion when
he made a courtesy call on the Indonesian President at the Presidential Palace
after chairing a joint-meeting of the Malaysia-Indonesia General Border
Committee (GBC), here, Thursday.

"It is his wish that the close cooperation would continue even after my
retirement from the Prime Minister's post," he said at a media conference with
Malaysian journalists at the conclusion of his two-day working visit to
Indonesia.

Abdullah had previously announced that he would step down from the post in
March 2009.

Leading a 28-member Malaysian delegation, Abdullah, who is also the Defence
Minister, jointly chaired the annual meeting with Indonesian Defence Minister
Juwono Sudarsono.

During the meeting with Susilo, Abdullah also took the opportunity to brief
the president on the developments of the 37th GBC meeting which went
smoothly.



Abdullah said they also discussed the current world economic crisis and its
effects on Malaysia and Indonesia, and the measures taken by the two countries
to tackle the problems.

"In addition, we also discussed the Annual Consultation between the Heads
of Governments of Malaysia and Indonesia. This consultation is usually held in
the beginning of the year and the time has come for the summit meeting of the
Malaysian-Indonesian heads of governments to be held," he said.

Abdullah said Indonesia, which will host the meeting this year, had asked
him to set a suitable date either in February or March 2009.

Responding to a question, the Prime Minister said he and Susilo had also
agreed to intensify cooperation that would benefit the peoples of the two
nations, including efforts to push up the price of palm oil in view of the
declining price of the commodity.

Malaysia and Indonesia control 80 per cent of the world's palm
oil
market.

Abdullah will depart for Kuala Lumpur Thursday night after paying his
respect to the family of former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, who was
his close friend and a member of the Indonesian Eminent Persons Group
(EPG).

Ali died in Singapore this morning and his remains were brought back
to the
family home in Kemang, here Thursday afternoon.

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