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Indonesia & Australia to co-host people smuggling talks

Indonesia and Australia are to co-host a high level forum on people smuggling and illegal immigration on the resort island of Bali next month.

Mark Bowling reports ministers from 35 Asian and Pacific countries have been invited.

Indonesia has presented the conference as its approach to combatting people smuggling and illegal immigration, issues which last year sparked a fallout between the government in Jakarta and Canberra. Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri refused to take Prime Minister John Howard's phone calls after Australia refused to accept more than 430 asylum seekers rescued by the Norwegian freighter, Tampa. But relations have improved to the extent that Indonesia and Australia will co-host a conference involving ministers from countries where asylum seekers come from, including Afghanistan, as well as countries like Indonesia through which the illegal refugees transit, and Australia and Pacific nations which have to deal with refugee arrivals.

8/01/02 7:12:41 | ABC Radio Australia News

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