Indonesia says email about talks between Marty Natalegawa and Julie Bishop sent to media by mistake

Updated

Indonesia says it never intended to release the details of a meeting between its foreign minister and his Australian counterpart to the media.

An email entitled "Materials for Press Information" was sent to journalists yesterday and gave a detailed summary of the private meeting between Marty Natalegawa and Julie Bishop in New York.

The email said the foreign ministers discussed the Coalition's plans to turn back asylum boats and noted that Australia wanted to work on the issue "behind the scenes" and "quietly".

It also warned Australia's plans to turn back asylum seeker boats could jeopardise trust and cooperation between the two countries.

But this afternoon, Indonesia's foreign ministry issued a "correction", saying the information was not intended for the media, that the meeting was private and there was no official press release.

"Information [from that meeting] is now being quoted in several media outlets to create the impression of discord among Indonesian and Australian officials on matters of mutual interest, " it said.

"The Indonesian government... stands ready to work with the Australian Government... to ensure the interests of both our people are fulfilled."

Earlier today, Prime Minister Tony Abbott described tensions between the two countries over the Coalition's border protection policy as a "passing irritant".

"The last thing I would ever want to do is anything that doesn't show the fullest possible respect for Indonesia's sovereignty," he said.

"We are already at this very moment cooperating closely with the Indonesians... I don't believe that the incoming government will do anything that will put that cooperation at risk. We want to build on that."

Mr Abbott said it was in both countries' interests to stop the flow of illegal boats.

"This is a broad and deep relationship which is going to get broader and deeper over time," he said.

"The last thing anyone should want is to have Australia's relationship with Indonesia defined by this boats issue, which I am sure will be but a passing irritant."

Mr Abbott will spend Monday and Tuesday in Jakarta, along with Ms Bishop and Trade Minister Andrew Robb.

Mr Abbott has also invited a delegation of 20 business leaders to accompany him.

Downer weighs in on asylum seeker diplomacy

On ABC television last night, former Liberal foreign minister Alexander Downer directly addressed Dr Natalegawa, saying Indonesian crews are breaching Australian sovereignty and he should not be "taking shots" at the Coalition.

Mr Downer called on Indonesia to stop what he labelled "pious rhetoric" and rejected the claim that turning back boats may infringe on their sovereignty.

Diplomatic row brewing

Alexander Downer's rejection of Marty Natalagawa's comments is significant because he was a minister in the former Coalition government, Alexander Downer's rejection of Marty Natalagawa's comments is significant because he was a minister in the former Coalition government, writes Asia editor Catherine McGrath.

He told The Drum that Indonesia has a heavy responsibility to bear in helping Australia deal with asylum seekers.

"Let me make this point for Mr Natalegawa's benefit: Indonesian-flagged boats with Indonesian crews are breaking our laws bringing people into our territorial waters," he said.

"This is a breach of our sovereignty, and the Indonesians need to understand that, instead of a lot of pious rhetoric about the Australian Government breaching their sovereignty."

A prominent adviser to the Indonesian government says Mr Abbott will need to explain his boat turn-back policy when he visits Jakarta next week in the first overseas trip of his prime ministership.

Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar warns Mr Abbott's policies could provoke conflict.

"If there is any policy that would infringe on our sovereignty, for example the Australian Navy making entry into Indonesian waters to chase boats, that would be considered an unfriendly act, if not downright hostile, [and] that would also be considered unacceptable," she said.

Natalegawa trying to make message 'crystal clear'

Acting Labor leader Chris Bowen says Mr Downer's comments may be seen as reflecting the Coalition's stance.

"Mr Downer's comments were particularly provocative and typically arrogant, but what's more concerning is they match very closely Mr Abbott's comments before the election," he said.

Mr Bowen says Dr Natalegawa's comments are a sign Indonesia is not pleased with the Coalition.

"It takes a special effort to endanger such an important bilateral relationship in the first week of office, before Mr Abbott and president Yudhoyono have even met.

"This is a clear indication that Minister Bishop has failed her first foreign policy test as Foreign Minister."

Meanwhile, 44 asylum seekers and two crew have been handed over to Indonesian authorities after being rescued by an Australian Navy ship off Java.

An official with Indonesia's search and rescue agency says the boat got into trouble 40 nautical miles out to sea.

The vessel was intercepted by an Australian Navy ship which then handed those on board over to an Indonesian rescue vessel.

Those onboard will be brought back to Indonesia, where they will be dealt with by Immigration Authorities and the International Organisation for Migration.

Topics: refugees, immigration, foreign-affairs, federal-government, indonesia, australia

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