President offers joint use of peace, security center

Jakarta - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has offered ASEAN member countries the joint use of the facilities of the Peace and Security Center now being built by Indonesia to increase cooperation in natural disaster handling.

"I am pleased to acknowledge that Indonesia is now building a Peace and Security Center in West Java. I hope, as is the case with the facilities of other ASEAN members, our center will be used by us jointly to increase cooperation in handling natural disasters," the president said in his address at the Special ASEAN-Japan Ministers` meeting on the handling of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami impact at the ASEAN Secretariat here on Saturday.

President Yudhoyono said that the facility would be used to organize education or cooperation in the natural disaster handling besides matters on peace-keeping missions.

"Naturally, disasters will continue to take place on this earth, We don`t know which country will again be affected but with a system, cooperation and a good technology development risks of a disaster could be minimized," he said.

In the meantime, Presidential Special Staff for International Affairs Teuku Faizasyah said that the government was currently developing a training center.

"The center will not be confined to the handling of a natural disaster only but also to prepare a place for a peace-keeping operation. So it would be how to maximize the role of our military in in the peace-keeping missions. Ahead it would also of course be used for the handling of terrorist problem and specifically the handling of natural disasters," he said.

So, ahead, Faiza said, Indonesia would possess a unit which was ready for a disaster handling, a disaster in Indonesia in particular and in the region as well if needed.

"Later on the center will be open for countries in the region," the presidential staff for international affairs, said.

source : antaranews.com