Indonesian Foreign Minister HassanWirajuda will not attend the planned talks between the Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a government spokesman said Wednesday.

"I can assure that Minister (Hassan) will not join the delegation," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin said here.

Yuri said the government puts GAM problem in the jurisdiction of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry, he said, would not consider the upcoming talks with GAM as part of a diplomatic mission.

Yuri stressed that GAM has no international recognition.

The government has repeatedly refused to elaborate the planned talks with GAM, which has been struggling for an Islamic state in Aceh since 1976.

Local media reports said the talks will be held in Helsinki on Jan. 28-30 during which the government delegation will be led by top security minister Widodo Adi Sucipto.

Source: Xinhua