Indonesia Maintains Presence in South Pacific Fora: Luhut

Jakarta, (Antara) - Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs, Law and Security Luhut Pandjaitan said Indonesia is aware that it is part of South Pacific region.

The country will continue to send representatives to the regional fora of the 16 countries in South Pacific, Luhut said  in Suva in  ending his visit to Fiji on Thursday.

He said he talked with Fiji's Prime Minister Josaia Bainimarama  and Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola  and told them that Indonesia would continue to show that it is part of the region.

"I told them that we are consistent with our presence in this region," he said in a statement issued here on Friday.

He said Indonesian commitment to help and cooperate with Fiji in economy, fishery, agriculture, military and  culture.

Military cooperation is in the form of management, control of natural disasters  and in maintaining peace, he said.

"I hope that the agriculture minister and trade ministers would immediately visit Fiji to show that Indonesia is serious in fostering cooperation," Luhuit said.

He said he also talked with the Fijian leaders about  the Indonesian position in Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Foreign Minister Kubuabola said that Fiji wanted that Indonesian status in MSG  would be strengthened to full membership.

Luhut said he would report the proposal to President Joko Widodo and would discuss it with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi upon arrival in Jakarta.

Luhut ended his visit to Fiji on Thursday afternoon and left  Suva for  Port Moresby to start a two day visit to Papua New Guinea.(*)