The leaders of Australia and Indonesia agreed on Tuesday to strengthen maritime ties as part of a bid to combat people smuggling, after two boats carrying Australia-bound migrants capsized and left dozens dead in the past two weeks. Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met in the Northern Territory capital of Darwin to discuss the politically charged problem. “I welcome the strong cooperation we have with Indonesia on people smuggling, including Indonesia’s law enforcement efforts against people smuggling syndicates,” Gillard told reporters.—AP
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