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发帖数: 10330 | 1 Indonesia steps up threats in Australia row
JAKARTA Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:42am EST
(Reuters) - Indonesia's diplomatic rift with Australia over phone bugging
accusations threatened to widen on Tuesday after the trade minister said
Southeast Asia's biggest economy was looking elsewhere for food imports.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week ordered the suspension of
military and police cooperation over the politically sensitive issue of
asylum seekers using Indonesian territory to sail to Australia.
"There are other places that I think can help us with our food security
aspirations," Gita Wirjawan told foreign journalists in the Indonesian
capital. "We are looking at those possibilities."
The diplomatic bust-up followed reports last week quoting documents leaked
by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that
Australia's intelligence services had tried to eavesdrop on the telephone
conversations of Yudhoyono, his wife and other top officials.
Indonesia is a major importer of Australian wheat, live cattle, beef and
some raw sugar. Australia is Indonesia's 10th-largest export market.
Wirjawan, who has already begun his campaign for next July's presidential
election, said he had asked parliament to look into regulations that limit
imports from certain countries.
Currently, Indonesian law only allows cattle imports from Australia and New
Zealand because of concerns over foot and mouth disease.
Asked if he was concerned about beef and cattle imports from other counties,
he said: "I know Malaysia imports a lot of beef from India from zones that
are safe from (foot and mouth disease) and other diseases."
But the government "will certainly be mindful of the need to maintain
stability in prices", he added.
Australia is Indonesia's main supplier of beef, surging prices of which
became a major issue earlier this year by helping drive up inflation.
The government was forced to relax import quotas to meet demand.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott wrote to Yudhoyono at the weekend over
the spying row but neither side has made public details of the letter.
(Reporting by Randy Fabi; Writing by Jonathan Thatcher; Editing by Clarence
Fernandez) |
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