Arizal gets Jakarta posting

JAKARTA (JP): Foreign minister Alwi Shihab will install outgoing Indonesian ambassador to Australia Arizal Effendi as the ministry's new secretary general on Friday.

Arizal, a career diplomat who held the ambassadorial post for just 11 months, will replace Rahardjo Jamtomo, M. Wahid Supriyadi a media relations staff at the ministry, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Alwi told the Post recently that Rahardjo had been given a new diplomatic assignment as the Indonesian ambassador to Germany.

Many considered Arizal successful in mending the ties between Indonesia and Australia which have deteriorated in the wake of last year's ballot in East Timor.

During his short stint in Canberra, bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the field of economics and trade had reportedly improved.

The post left by Arizal will remain vacant until the foreign ministry names his replacement.

Alwi has expressed his interest in appointing former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono for the top diplomatic post in Canberra.

Alwi has also named the current Indonesian permanent representative to the United Nations Makarim Wibisono the new director general of foreign economic relations (HELN), but Wahid said the date for Makarim's induction remained unknown.

Makarim's deputy Makmur Widodo will fill the post in New York.

The reshuffle is part of internal restructuring within the ministry, which will also see the establishment of an advisory team who will help the ministry improve the quality of Indonesian ambassadors.

Alwi said the team, comprising three senior officials, will screen ambassadorial candidates. (dja)