AII to hold 'Young Leaders' dialogue

JAKARTA: The Australian-Indonesian Institute (AII) will hold a "Young Leaders" dialogue involving Indonesians and Australians in Bogor from May 22 through May 24, AII chairman Philip Flood said on Wednesday.

The meeting, the first ever held by AII, was aimed at boosting common understanding between the potential leaders of the two countries, as well as discussing the bilateral relationship and global issues.

Participants of the meeting, slated to be 12 from each country, would come from a broad range of fields, including education and culture.

"The participants have been very carefully selected, and are expected to be the leaders of their respective countries within 20 years," Flood told a media conference here.

The Board of AII visited President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Wednesday, and this would be followed by other visits to prominent community leaders in Jakarta and Makassar, to hear first-hand information from Indonesians about their views on the social and political situation here.

So far, the institute has supported exchange programs between both countries' media figures and fellowships for students and researchers. The latest envisages leader exchanges between Muslim figures from both countries. -- JP