Australian PM Howard first to visit Megawati<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard is
\nscheduled to visit Indonesia later this month, making him the
\nfirst head of state to visit President Megawati Soekarnoputri, an
\nAustralian Embassy official said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We expect Prime Minister Howard to arrive in Indonesia on
\nAug. 12 and leave here on Aug. 13. He is very pleased to meet
\nPresident Megawati in these early days,\" Australian Embassy
\ncounselor Geoffrey Leach told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Leach said that the Prime Minister had earlier disclosed that
\na meeting, between him and the Indonesian President, would
\nconstitute a very important signal for the future of the two
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"In a telephone conversation between the two leaders soon
\nafter the ascension of Megawati to the presidency, she told the
\nPrime Minister that she would very much welcome such a visit,\"
\nLeach further said.<\/p>\n
However, there has yet to be any further details about the
\ntwo-day visit as the schedule is still under discussion, he said.<\/p>\n
Megawati, elected as Indonesia's fifth president on July 23,
\nis scheduled to make an overseas trip to nine member countries of
\nthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Aug. 22 and
\nHoward may be the first head of state to meet Megawati.<\/p>\n
The relations between Indonesia and Australia had gone through
\na rocky period, especially during the separation of the former
\nIndonesian province of East Timor in 1999.<\/p>\n
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid had visited Australia in
\nthe last days of his tenure, signaling the strong intention of
\nthe two countries to rebuild the deteriorating bilateral ties.<\/p>\n
This will be the first visit by Howard to Jakarta after the
\nsettlement of the East Timor issue. (dja)<\/p>",
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