Menlu RI: His Excellency, Mr. Jean Asselborn and Commissioner for External Affairs of the European Union, Madam Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Ladies and Gentlemen, and media friends. The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and the European Union have just successfully concluded the 15th ASEAN-European Union Ministerial Meeting. The 15th AEMM was attended by Foreign Minister of Luxemburg, Sweden, Czech Republic, European Commissioner for External Relations, Indonesia, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore as well as the Secretary General of ASEAN, Ministerial level participants as well as senior officials from the other ASEAN and EU member countries and 36 delegations were in attendance. As the outcome of a day long meeting, Indonesia and Luxemburg have co-chaired and have issued the joint co-chairmen statement which is rather self-explanatory. Allow me, however, to highlight some of the outcomes of the meeting. We discussed matters of mutual interest including significant developments in the ASEAN and EU as well as the existing ASEAN-EU cooperation and its future direction. We also discussed the current issues in international and regional situation including the follow up to the special ASEAN's leaders meeting on the aftermath of earthquake and tsunami which was held in Jakarta on the 6 January 2005. The meeting recognized the unprecedented nature of the disaster and the equally unprecedented and urgent response to the disaster by the affected and assisting countries. The ASEAN Ministers expressed their appreciation to the European Commissioner and the EU member states for their commitment, support, and delivery of assistance to the affected ASEAN countries during the emergency relief phase as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction stages. The EC would also assist the affected countries by proposing a Generalized System of Preferences - GSP scheme. In addition, the meeting expressed support for effort to develop regional disaster management capacity as well as tsunami early warning system on the Indian Ocean and South East Asia. On the development in ASEAN, EU member countries welcome the adoption of the declaration of ASEAN Concord II to establish ASEAN Community by the year 2020, the Plan of Actions for the three pillars of the ASEAN Community and the Vientiane Action programs. With regard to the development in the EU, the AEMM noted the historic achievement of the EU latest enlargement which includes ten new members and the EU constitutions which will serve as institutional framework for the EU to merge the existing treaties and agreements and to make EU decision making process more effective, transparent and democratic. On ASEAN-EU cooperation, I would like to highlight that we recognize the need of both ASEAN and EU to engage in policy dialog not only in trade areas but also in non-trade areas. For this purpose, we have endorsed the principal of regional EU - ASEAN dialog instruments or it is so called READI. This endorsement will serve as the basis for developing ASEAN-EU cooperation in non-trade areas. We also agreed to identify priorities of cooperation based on Bali Concord II and the Vientiane Action Program as well as the European Commission's communication on the new partnerships with South East Asia. We held an exchange of views on the current political situation in the Middle East and in the Asia Pacific including the recent development in the Korean Peninsula. With regard to the Korean Peninsula issue, ASEAN and EU emphasized the need for the parties to resume negotiation to find peaceful solution based on the principal of sovereignty, quality, and mutual respect. We had also very frank discussion on the issue of Myanmar during the working lunch. I have just shared with you some of the highlights of the outcome of the meeting today. Now, before we step into Question and Answer, I would like to give the floor to my EU colleague to share on the meeting results. Your Excellency, you have the floor...

EU President: Thank you very much. First of all I would like to say how honoured I am that I could co-chair today this meeting with my colleague Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Minister Wirajuda. It was really pleasure to work as his tandem. It was the first EU - ASEAN Ministerial Meeting after EU enlargement in May 2004 and the substance has already been important in itself. It was however also a very substantive meeting, Minister Wirajuda told you already, that we have discussed different points of the agenda. Now I would like to limit myself to some important points from my point of view. We discussed ASEAN-EU relations, we explored new cooperation areas and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen the cooperation to combat trans-national organized crime and terrorism. We raised international economic development and discussed in the context DOHA development agenda and the millennium development goals. On this occasion, we reiterated our concern about the ongoing climate change and [] important is the recent entry to force the Kyoto Protocol. We briefed our ASEAN partners on the follow up of the EU strategy for South East Asia which highlight the role of regional organization in strengthening global governance and important contribution of ASEAN to a more []. The EU welcome significant development and strengthening of the regional integration of ASEAN, the Vientianne Action Plan establishing the ASEAN Community. Our ASEAN partners briefed us on the recent development in the region, which the EU follows with great interest. The EU stands ready to share its relevant experience on regional integration and contribute very positive where possible. We presented the main development in the European Union such as the upcoming mid-term review of Lisbon Strategy with objective of making EU the most competitive economy in the world by 2010 and the financial perspective setting out to the level of future expenditure by the Union to very important but also very difficult []. The treaty establishing a constitution for Europe is major step in European integration and we inform about the [] by member states. After successful enlargement in 2004 which broaden us to 25 member states and 250 million people. Rumania and Bulgaria will join EU in 2007, we hope so and accession negotiation with Turkey and Croatia will begin in the near future. The meeting was very important in order to renew our sincere solidarity with countries affected by the earthquake and tsunami on 26 December last year and to reassure EU's long term support. EU mobilize solid financial contribution after the disaster, a large-scale collective efforts brought together by the member states, European Commission and millions of ordinary citizens in Europe. We expressed our commitment to the [] of the affected countries regarding the reconstruction. It is important that assistance program are coordinated and integrated in national reconstruction strategies. We support the initiative of establishing the Early Warning System in Indian Ocean. On International issue, we discussed the situation in the Middle East, developments in the Asia Pacific including the situation in the Korean Peninsula after the recent statement by North Korea concerning their possession of nuclear weapons and their withdrawal from the six-party talk. In this context, European Union expressed satisfaction with the leading of ASEAN in the ASEAN Regional Forum. We think that this forum is of outmost importance in the Asia. Pacific region since all key players are represented and that it is a potential to develop into a tool for preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution. We also exchanged assessment on cross-Straits relations in the view of the forthcoming adoption of China's Anti-session block. My colleague, Foreign Minister of Indonesia said it we had also a very frank exchange of view on the situation on the Myanmar. There we noted that national convention reconvened on 17 February 2005 for which we expressed our strong hope for concrete result. We underline the need for constructive involvement of all political and ethnic groups in this country. We reiterated the need for the early lifting of all restrictions and we asked from the European side for the release of all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi. We called on Myanmar, [] we discussed ways to promote positive development in Myanmar and agreed to continue dialog on this issue. Thank you.

Menlu RI: Thank you very much Foreign Minister for your statement. I now invite Mrs. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for the external affairs of the European Union. And now you have the floor.

EU Commissioner: Thank you very much dear co-chairs, ladies and gentlemen. As successor of Chris Patten, I am here today in this ministerial meeting. And I must say a great compliment to Indonesia for the excellent preparation but also a good atmosphere that reigned here today and in which we could have a very substantive dialog. Let me say that on the basis of our commission's strategy of the year 2003, which was the strategy to see how we can go on between ASEAN and the European Union, we have been working also today. In the meantime, a lot have been happening on the one hand, as my president of the European Union has said, the enlargement, but on the other hand ASEAN has done quite a great job by building a new ambitious program on economic, security and also socio-cultural affairs for the community in the year 2020. Now let me say what can we do? We can, I think as European Commission because we have a motor and the instrument of the European Union we can really support this program and we can do that by providing assistance especially on the expertise. We have a long experience, as long as this is of course wished by our ASEAN partners. The aim is today also to intensify our political dialog and this is what we have been doing. President of the European Union has just outlined how many political issues we have used. And that means of course exploring a common approach also on regional but also on international issues and also reflecting on common areas of cooperation be it for instance in the United Nation but also be it on other issues like we did today. We have already launched together the treaty trade initiative but should bring us closer on trade and regulatory issues. And this time, the minister has mentioned that 'READI has been launched'. This is the regional EU - ASEAN dialog initiative and that will help us to deepen our very important relationship from fights against terrorism, to protecting the environment, to combating the drugs, to trade, to migration, to education, to information society, and to transport. By the way, our common communication in the year 2003 also mentioned greater feasibility we need to create together a feasibility on what we are doing because we are doing a lot and there also we think we can still cooperate more but we both agree that this is very important. Finally I think also trilateral cooperation is indeed very essential. That means we are working with few countries who want to do that together in order to help develop those countries of ASEAN that still have a lower level of development. And I think this is very positive, for instance, we do it with Singapore and European Commission for Laos. These are in reality, ladies and gentlemen, the ingredient for a modern policy agenda. And we, of course, have informed each other that we want to work together in the future. The second part and my colleague has already mentioned it is the focus on tsunami. And let me say also as a European, as a citizen of this whole global world, it was really very, very sad to see what has happened to both your own citizens and you are of course in your country the most affected, but also to our citizens and therefore we have to work together. I am going to Aceh tomorrow myself also because the European Commission has set up a huge program on the post tsunami reconstruction where is President Barroso, President of the European Commission, was here at Jakarta Conference on January immediately after the tsunami to announce also the whole EU means, this is EU member states and the commission together. This is 1.5 billion Euro, as you know, the commission alone will give, that is my responsibility for the reconstruction overall 350 million of which 210 million, such a huge amount, will go to Indonesia for reconstruction here. And in order to start very soon with our rapid reaction mechanism we start with 7 million very, very early. Let me say, and I can promise you that the European Commission will be efficient in delivering aids, will be rigorous in ensuring the assistance fit their real needs in each country and that is also here. And we will also be implacable in the face of any misuse and fraud. Thank you.

Menlu RI: Thank you very much commissioner. And now we are pleased to take your questions.

Wartawan: []

Menlu RI: The agenda of the plenary meeting was [] of Senior Officials and it was agreement by both sides, ASEAN and particular Myanmar as well as EU delegations, to discuss the issue at the working lunch. It is a matter of allocation of time but essentially [] of course it was discussed in the working lunch, we were able to discuss the sensitive issue in a very open, cordial and frank manner.

Menlu Luxembourg: In the European Union, the most important item was discussed at the working lunch. So when the 25 the Minister of Foreign Affairs come together, the most important item was discussed at that lunch, it is not unusual.

Menlu RI: Thank you.

Wartawan: (Associated Press) I'd like to ask the European Union side whether ASEAN is doing enough to pressurize Myanmar on the issue of democratic reform and what more the group can do, do you think?

EU President: I think, at lunch we had a very sincere discussion with political responsible from Myanmar. For me, it was for the first time that it was possible to do so and for many other colleagues from European Union it was the same thing. So the discussion was clear. I mention the most important in my introduction, democracy is indivisible and somebody said in the meeting that sometimes the governors, member of government have problem to accelerate democracy but people, he said, once needs democracy in the 21st century. And if you see what happen now in the Middle East also in the North East of Europe, I hope that by election, democracy can also be established in Myanmar. So we do our best and I think also on the ASEAN side a lot of pressure is possible we have to help this regime to see that the only way in the future of the 21st Century is democracy.

EU Commissioner: Let me add that it was very important enter into a constructive but also a critical dialog []

Wartawan: []

EU Commissioner: Well, we do think that the trade relations are very, very important already but what we would like to do is we would like to pave the path with our treaty and with other possibilities also with bilateral partnerships and cooperation agreements that we said we are ready to start, by the way it has already been started with Singapore and Thailand, in order for the future to have a possibility if this is wished by both sides to go for a free trade area. This is where we are, and where we want to take both sides if possible.

Wartawan: []

EU Commissioner: I don't think it is the right moment to go for a time frame. The positive thing was the mood was so. I think everybody feels we have to take our relations up a gear.

Menlu RI: I just would like to add that EU members have been, until very recently, the trade largest partners of ASEAN. But very recently, the trade between ASEAN and China has been on the rise and the fact is that ASEAN-China trade has overtaken position of EU as our third largest trading partners. For that matter, during our discussion today, we discussed on how to enhance the trade relations between ASEAN and EU because we both saw untapped potential for the two sides to work hard to improve.

Wartawan: (Reuters) This one for EU Commissioner. You've mentioned a lot about Myanmar but are there any other areas in ASEAN where you see human rights abuses being committed that you are concerned about for example Thailand or Indonesia or other places.

EU Commissioner: Let me say, of course, human rights issues are always an important issues for us and so we for instance we have also had on our agenda at lunch time and afterward the question on North Korea. But this is not only about human rights, this is only about the non-proliferation and this was said also a common concern and you can be sure that we have taken this up and we will take this up in the future.

Wartawan: []

Menlu RI: [] akan dipimpin oleh pejabat dari Departemen Luar Negeri tapi sebagaimana biasanya akan melibatkan unsur-unsur dari Departemen lain termasuk dari Mabes TNI, Bakorsurtanal, Departemen ISDM karena itu menyangkut landas kontinen, tapi juga karena kita akan berbicara mengenai penetapan batas zona ekonomi eksklusif, wakil dari Departemen Kelautan akan juga disertakan. Dan tentunya kita juga untuk memperkuat bekal bagi delegasi akan segera membentuk tim ahli guna mendukung proses kita dalam perundingan tersebut.

Wartawan: []

Menlu RI: Respon Malaysia positif dalam artian Malaysia sependapat dengan kita untuk segera secara cepat kita mengambil jalan atau proses perundingan untuk penyelesaian masalah ini.

Wartawan: Pak, apakah dengan demikian kapal perang Indonesia ditarik dari kepulauan Ambalat?

Menlu RI: Kita tidak bicara spesifik tentang penarikan kapal perang tapi kita sepakati seperti tercermin dari statement yang dikeluarkan tadi malam bahwa kedua pihak akan mengambil langkah-langkah untuk mengurangi ketegangan di lapangan sehingga dengan begitu menciptakan kondisi yang kondusif untuk perundingan itu.

Wartawan: []

Menlu RI: Kita berbicara tentang keseluruhan masalah-masalah yang pending di wilayah Laut Sulawesi ini yaitu pertama berkaitan dengan batas laut wilayah, territorial waters, Zona Ekonomi Eksklusif (ZEE) dan juga landas kontinen. Jadi tiga elemen itu.

Wartawan: []

Menlu RI: Mereka memang mengangkat itu, tapi pihak kami juga menjelaskan reaksi yang bergitu besar memang merefleksikan aspirasi dari warga masyarakat kits, merefleksikan kegemasan sebagian dari warga kita terhadap perkembangan yang kurang menguntungkan di perairan sebelah timur Kalimantan ini. Ini saya jelaskan merupakan bagian dari akumulasi dari berbagai peristiwa yang terjadi sebelum ini.

Wartawan: []

Menlu RI: Dengan pertemuan ini tentunya untuk sementara kita tidak melanjutkan nota protes karena kita toh duduk bersama. Jadi dalam pertemuan itu kita sepakati masing-masing pihak secara sangat terbuka, jelas untuk menjelaskan posisinya sebab hanya dengan duduk bersama dan menggelar kepada pihak lainnya alasan-alasan mengapa satu pihak sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa satu bagian wilayah di perairan Laut Sulawesi diklaimnya. Demikian juga tentunya merupakan kesempatan bagi kita untuk menjelaskan mengapa kita sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa sebagian perairan di wilayah itu adalah laut wilayah kita, Zona Ekonomi Eksklusif kita, dan landas kontinen kita.

Wartawan: Akan kembali ke kita ndak Pak Ambalat? Yakin ndak Pak?

Menlu RI: Kita dalam pertemuan pertama tadi malam, saya berkesempatan mengulangi untuk meneguhkan posisi kita, klaim kita selama ini tapi kita juga memaklumi kalau Malaysia juga mengulangi posisi-posisinya. Walaupun saya katakan tadi dalam pertemuan pertama untuk masalah seruwet dan sekompleks ini, sejak awal kita sepakati, bahwa kita memerlukan serangkaian pertemuan tingkat teknis, tingkat expert.

Wartawan: Jadi Malaysia masih tetap mengklaim wilayah Ambalat Pak?

Menlu RI: Sampai ada dengan penyelesaian akhir, kita tidak lagi mengatakan Malaysia mengklaim atau kita mengklaim, faktanya adalah ada sengketa di wilayah itu yang harus diselesaikan.

Wartawan: Apakah dengan demikian, penyelesaian masalah Ambalat ini tetap diselesaikan melalui kerangka bilateral dan tidak masuk ke ICJ

Menlu RI: Kita sama sekali belum bicara cara-cara penyelesaian lain terutama melalui pihak ketiga, tapi kita bersepakat untuk menyelesaikan dan mengupayakan secara maksimal cara-cara penyelesaian menurut proses negosiasi secara bilateral.

Wartawan: Apakah dengan demikian, blok yang diklaim bersama itu akan dalam status quo?

Menlu RI: Kita juga tidak berbicara tentang status quo karena yang penting bagi kita adalah untuk kita masing-masing menggelar alasan-alasan dan dari situ kita cari solusinya.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jakarta, 10 Maret 2005

Direktorat Informasi dan Media
Departemen Luar Negeri RI