ABC AUSTRALIA, 27/08/2004 09:04:04
Indonesia accuses Australia of failing to consult over missile plan
The Indonesia Government has accused Australia of failing to consult over its plan to
equip the airforce with long-range missiles.
The Australian government says the missiles will make Australian fighter jets the
most lethal in the region.
Our reporter, Melanie Christiansen, says the government has played down the
prospect of Australia's decision to acquire long-range missiles unsettling neighbouring
countries.
The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, said the government had already briefed
countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
But Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Marty Natalagawa, has disputed that.
"We've been informed of this decision actually through the media," he said.
The opposition Labor Party's defence spokesman, Kim Beazley, says it is a mistake
that could harm Australia's relationship with Indonesia.
"In the circumstances we now confront, we must keep their trust and friendship," he
said.
But the government insists it did consult neighbouring countries over the decision, and
it says its intention to acquire long-range missiles was even flagged, in February, in
its widely distributed defence capability plan.
27/08/2004 09:04:04 | ABC Radio Australia News
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