Soeharto welcomes Howard visit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday he would
\nwarmly welcome Australia's new Prime Minister John Howard, who
\nplans to visit Indonesia in two months.<\/p>\n
He said Howard's visit would strengthen ties between the two
\nneighbors.<\/p>\n
Soeharto stated his stand receiving a courtesy call from the
\nChief Minister of the Northern Territories, Shane Stone, who was
\naccompanied by former Indonesian Minister of Finance Frans Seda.<\/p>\n
"The President is willing to meet the new Australian Prime
\nMinister any time. He said that repeatedly," Seda said after the
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Many attribute the close ties between the two countries in
\nrecent years to the warm relations between Soeharto and Howard's
\npredecessor, Paul Keating.<\/p>\n
When Keating's Labor party was defeated earlier this month,
\nfears surfaced that the relationship could not be sustained under
\nHoward, especially since during the election campaign his party
\nindicated that it would take a firmer stance toward Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Soeharto's meeting with the Australian Chief Minister
\ndispelled those fears.<\/p>\n
"Just tell me when he would like to come here and I'll send an
\ninvitation," said Seda, quoting the president.<\/p>\n
Keating visited Indonesia four times during his four years as
\nPrime Minister. Soeharto has not visited Australia in the past
\ntwo decades.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's Vice President Try Sutrisno is the highest ranking
\nIndonesian official to have gone "down under" in recent years.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Stone revealed that Prime Minister Howard had
\nindicated a wish to visit Indonesia, possibly within the next two
\nor three months.<\/p>\n
Stone also said he was the bearer of a special message of
\nfriendship and assurances of Canberra's continued commitment to
\nbilateral relations. (mds)<\/p>",
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