Alice Coster, Jakarta – France's junior minister for foreign affairs and human rights has expressed hope the Indonesian government can make progress in the investigation into the murder of prominent rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib.

During a visit to Jakarta on Friday, Rama Yade said it was important the government made every effort to bring about justice for the murdered rights activist. "I hope whoever is responsible for the death of Munir is brought to court and justice," she said.

Munir was poisoned with arsenic on a Garuda flight in 2004. He was traveling to Amsterdam to pursue post-graduate studies. There has been growing international concern over the slow pace of the investigation into Munir's death three years ago, with no one yet being held accountable.

In early November last year, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Philip Alston, wrote to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the possibility of being granted access to the investigation. He also pressed the government to step up its investigation.

The European Commission has also urged Yudhoyono to resolve the murder and make the case a top priority.

Yade is the first French government minister to visit Indonesia in two years and is here to promote dialog between France and Indonesia. The visit is in preparation to President Yudhoyono's meeting with newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy in New York next week, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. President Yudhoyono will also visit France in October this year.

Yade spoke with Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu about economic and trade relations, reform, democracy and development.

In reference to the growing controversy over statements by France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, that the world should prepare for war over Iran's nuclear program, Yade said "all diplomatic efforts are still wide open" to solve the Iranian nuclear spat.