Indonesian defense minister reiterated in Jakarta Sunday that March 26 is not a deadline for foreign troops involved in the relief effort to leave the country.
"We would like to emphasize that March 26 is not a deadline for involvement of foreign military personnel in the relief effort," Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said after a meeting with US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.
"It is a benchmark for the Indonesian government to improve and accelerate its relief efforts so that by March 26 the large part of the burden of the relief effort will be carried by the Indonesian government and Indonesian authorities," he said.
Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalla last Wednesday asked foreign troops to pull out of Aceh by March 26.
