Media Release
FA15 - 3 February 2004
Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism
Australia and Indonesia will co-host a Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Bali this week.
The meeting on 4-5 February will be co-chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer and his Indonesian counterpart Dr Hassan Wirajuda. The Australian delegation will be led by Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and will include Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty and our Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism Les Luck.
The venue choice of Bali, where so many lives were lost in the 12 October 2002 bombings, serves to highlight how terrorism already has caused intolerable suffering for many Australians and Indonesians. It also demonstrates our excellent cooperation with Indonesia on counter-terrorism issues, including the Bali investigation.
The Australian Government places the highest possible priority on fighting the terrorist threat at home and abroad.
The conference demonstrates Australia’s commitment to work with all countries in our region in battling the scourge of terrorism. Success can only come through co-operative efforts to apprehend terrorists and prevent attacks.
Foreign affairs and law enforcement Ministers have been invited from all ASEAN countries as well as from Japan, Republic of Korea, China, New Zealand, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, India, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany and Russia. EU officials have also been invited, along with observers from the ASEAN Secretariat, the APEC Secretariat, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee and 1267 Sanctions Committee and Interpol.
The meeting will explore practical ways to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in the critical areas of law enforcement, information sharing and legal frameworks. Participants will also discuss the nature of the regional terrorist threat and its links to global terrorism and assess regional counter-terrorism efforts to date.
Media inquiries: Chris Kenny +61 02 6277 7500 - Julie McDonald (Departmental) 02 6261 1555