The governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) will discuss strategic issues in Batam, Riau Islands, next week, a regional legislator said."The two countries will discuss defense, economic matters, state boundaries and other issues of mutual concern," Chairman of Commission I on foreign affairs of the Riau Islands Regional Legislative Assembly (DPRD) Sukhri Fahrial said here on Wednesday.
He said that the meeting of the two governments would provide ample opportunity to enhance cooperation in the defense and economic sectors.
The lawmaker said that the Indonesian government also planned to have meetings with the Malaysian and Singapore governments but the schedules for that purposes were not yet decided.
"The government will also meet to discuss strategic issues with other neighboring countries after the meeting with the PNG government," he said.
He said that the Indonesian government hoped sea and land border problems with neighboring states would be settled soon so that it would not create bigger problems later on.
Sukhri said that sea and land border problems if remaining unsettled could affect the defense, security and economic system with neighboring countries.
Talks on the border areas in Riau with Malaysia were almost finished but those with Singapore were no yet, he said.
(Uu.A014/HAJM)
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