Australia pulls back from RI 'ties'

Australia pulls back from RI 'ties'

CANBERRA (Reuters): Australian Prime Minister John Howard is playing down Australia's "special relationship" with Indonesia, saying bilateral ties have been damaged by the East Timor crisis.

Australia has often boasted of its special relationship with Indonesia since signing a security pact with Jakarta in 1995, and regards bilateral ties with Indonesia as the cornerstone of its Asian foreign policy.

However, Howard said on Monday few nations had such a relationship and that Australia's tough stance toward the violence in East Timor had damaged links with Jakarta.

"I just think it's very important that we keep a sense of perspective about our relationships with countries," Howard said in New Zealand before leaving for Australia after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

"There are few countries in the world with which any nation has a special relationship and I think we've just got to be careful about that.

"If we have lower expectations of a relationship with a nation, we might not be so angered and disappointed when strains emerge in the relationship," Howard said.

"We have been understanding of the Indonesian position and I hope that our relationship can over time be put on a very positive basis."