Australian PM to visit Indonesia early next year<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nCanberra<\/p>\n
Australia's recently re-elected Prime Minister John Howard has
\nannounced plans to visit Indonesia again early in the new year
\nfor talks focusing on asylum seekers.<\/p>\n
Howard told an informal gathering of journalists at his annual
\npress gallery Christmas party late on Monday that he hoped to go
\nin February or March, as a matter of priority.<\/p>\n
However, his staff said on Tuesday that no dates had yet been
\nconfirmed for the visit.<\/p>\n
During a visit to Canberra last week, Indonesian Foreign
\nMinister Hassan Wirayuda discussed with Australian ministers the
\nproblem for both countries of illegal immigration.<\/p>\n
He voiced concern about Australia's so-called Pacific solution
\nby which illegal immigrants have been sent to Pacific nations
\nsuch as Nauru and Papua New Guinea where their claims for asylum
\nare being processed.<\/p>\n
Wirayuda also secured Australian agreement to co-host with
\nJakarta a regional conference on illegal migration in February.<\/p>\n
Howard, who traveled to Indonesia in August, was the first
\nworld leader to visit its new President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
However, relations were strained within a month when Howard
\ndemanded that the Norwegian freighter Tampa take 433 asylum
\nseekers it had rescued from a sinking ferry in the Indian Ocean
\nback to Indonesia where they began their voyage.<\/p>\n
Megawati refused to return Howard's calls, but she wrote to
\nhim following his government third election win last month to
\ncongratulate him on his victory and urge stronger ties between
\nthe two countries.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australian-pm-to-visit-indonesia-early-next-year-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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