House approves Australia's new ambassador<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives (DPR) has finally approved the
\nappointment of senior Australian diplomat David Ritchie to serve
\nas the new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, replacing Richard
\nSmith.<\/p>\n
The ambassador-designate, who is expected to present
\nhis credentials to President Megawati Soekarnoputri next month,
\nis due to preside over a ceremony marking Australia Day at the
\nneighboring country's embassy next Monday.<\/p>\n
House foreign affairs committee chairman Ibrahim Ambong said
\nFriday that the House had sent a letter of approval to the
\nPresident during its recess in December.<\/p>\n
\"There is no problem (with his appointment as Australian
\nambassador to Jakarta). The most important thing is for him to
\nimprove Australia's relations with Jakarta,\" Ambong told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Previously, there was anxiety in certain circles that Ritchie,
\nwho was born in Papua New Guinea, might try to promote the
\nseparatist cause in Papua.<\/p>\n
The House appeared to deliberately delay its approval of
\nRichie, who has been in the Jakarta for about two months.<\/p>\n
Ambong added that the House gave its approval for Ritchie
\nafter the Indonesian government convinced legislators that he
\nwould not promote separatism in Papua, but rather would strive to
\nimprove relations between Canberra and Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Ritchie joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in
\n1975. He served as third secretary in the Australian embassy in
\nBonn (1975-1978), first secretary in Berlin (1981-1983), first
\nsecretary in Nairobi (1986-1988), and acting high commissioner in
\nLusaka (August-September 1988).<\/p>\n
From December 1999 to February 2001, Ritchie served as a
\nsenior adviser on international relations at the office of the
\nAustralian prime minister.<\/p>\n
He was educated at the University of Queensland and is married
\nwith two children.<\/p>\n
Relations between Indonesia and Australia have been on a
\nroller-coaster ride for years. Many people consider that
\nrelations between the two countries reached their zenith when
\nPaul Keating was Australian prime minister and Soeharto was still
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Relations between the two hit rock bottom when Australia moved
\ninto East Timor to put a halt to pro-Jakarta militia violence in
\nthe former Indonesian province.<\/p>\n
Since then, relations have been gradually improving, although
\nthey slumped again when Prime Minister John Howard said that
\nAustralia might be forced to take preemptive action to combat
\nterrorists based in other countries.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-approves-australias-new-ambassador-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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