Indonesian minister, Australian PM speak at East Asian Forum

Brisbane (ANTARA News) - Visiting Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd were reported to be among a number of prominent personalities who spoke at an East Asian Forum in Sydney on Wednesday.

Organized by the Australian National University (ANU) at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney, most speakers in the dialogue forum touched on economic and political security issues through new approaches.

Former Thai economic minister Chalongphob Sussankarn and former Korean foreign minister Yoon Young Kwan, in addition to Minister Juwono and Prime Minister Rudd also addressed the dialogue forum, a spokesman of Australian National Univeristy, Simon Couper, said.

ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, Justin of the World Bank and some well-known Australian figures like Prof Kim Beazley and Huw McKay of Westpac also spoke at the forum, he said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd elucidated Australis`s vision and role in East Asia in his presentation at the two-day forum.

The forum`s participants would also discuss other important issues such as economic development, energy and environmental security, terrorism and security.

They would also talk on the various challenges faced by the United States and China as the architects of the Asian region, he said.

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono is scheduled to meet with his Australian counterpart, Joel Fitzgibbon, in Canberra on Thursday.
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