RI ASKS FOR UN SPECIAL POLICY ON PEACE MISSION

Jakarta, Nov 22 (ANTARA) - Indonesia will ask for a UN special policy on the seaborne cost its warship has to bear sailing from Indonesia to Lebanon on a peace mission in that country, a minister said.

Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said here on Sunday that Indonesia was still considering the continuation of its force's participation in the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the United Nations Interim Forces In Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The minister made the remarks after visiting Indonesian warship KRI Diponegoro which had returned after completing its mission with the MTF of UNIFL in South Lebanon.

The Indonesian warship had been on a maritime safeguarding mission in South Lebanon.

He said that Indonesia was still considering a continuation of its force's participation in the mission because it has to pay very high seaborne cost when saling from Indonesia to Lebanon which took two months.

"Other countries joining the MTF mission such as Belgium, Italy and Germany, do not need to pay seaborne cost because they are relatively nearer to Lebanon. They can cover the distance in four days while we need two months. And for this we have to spend a lot of money in seaborne cost," the minister said.

In the meantime, Maj Gen Supiadin, assistant to the Indonesian defense forces (TNI) commander for operational affairs, said that Indonesia had to pay Rp9 billion in seaborne cost in a single trip.

He said that Indonesia was expecting a special policy of the UN with regard to seaborne cost.