Prime Minister David Cameron of the United
Kingdom (UK) arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday, lauding Indonesia’s economic
growth and increasing diplomatic clout, which he said could promote peace and
speed democratisation in many parts of the world.
Speaking
before the press after a bilateral meeting with President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono at Merdeka Palace yesterday, Cameron said that Indonesia could serve
a model for nations in the Middle East and North Africa that were currently in
the process of developing democratic structures following the fall of
authoritarian governments after the so-called Arab Spring.
"The
world’s national leaders, whether in Britain, Australia, Germany, or America,
should be now asking what Indonesia would think about a particular issue,”
Cameron said.
The
prime minister arrived at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at 12:30 p.m.
as the head of a delegation of more than 30 top executives and academics,
including the chiefs of British defence contractors such as BAE Systems and
Thales.
Cameron
said that Indonesia and the UK had launched a “greater cooperation between our
armed forces and defence industries to give Indonesia global expertise to
modernise its military assets.”
Defence
cooperation between the nations is a departure from previous relations, such as
in 1999, when the UK government under Tony Blair banned arms sales to Indonesia
after British-made Hawk jets were used by the Indonesian Military (TNI) to
suppress the separatist insurgency in East Timor, now the nation of Timor Leste.
Cameron
said that Indonesia had since transformed itself into “one of the world’s most
important democracies.”
Before
meeting Yuhoyono at the Palace, Cameron visited Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in
South Jakarta and participated in a forum attended by members of the British
delegation and top Indonesian executives.
Later,
the prime minister was in attendance as Indonesia flag carrier Garuda Indonesia
signed a US$2.5 billion deal for 11 Airbus A330 jets powered by UK-made
Rolls-Royce engines.
Yudhoyono
said his meeting with Cameron resulted in a new joint public-private programme
that would tackle illegal deforestation worldwide and that he and Cameron
agreed to enhance inter-faith dialogue.
On
education, Yudhoyono said he and Cameron agreed to increase the number of
Indonesians studying in the UK.
Cameron
said he had delivered to Yudhoyono an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to
make a state visit to the UK in October for the Diamond Jubilee marking the
60th year of the queen’s reign. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that
Yu-dhoyono would attend.
Before
departing for Kuala Lumpur on Thursday at 10 a.m., Cameron has been scheduled
to deliver a speech at Al-Azhar University.
Bagus
BT Saragih
The
Jakarta Post
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