Australian PM Howard first to visit Megawati

Australian PM Howard first to visit Megawati

JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard is
scheduled to visit Indonesia later this month, making him the
first head of state to visit President Megawati Soekarnoputri, an
Australian Embassy official said on Thursday.

"We expect Prime Minister Howard to arrive in Indonesia on
Aug. 12 and leave here on Aug. 13. He is very pleased to meet
President Megawati in these early days," Australian Embassy
counselor Geoffrey Leach told The Jakarta Post.

Leach said that the Prime Minister had earlier disclosed that
a meeting, between him and the Indonesian President, would
constitute a very important signal for the future of the two
countries.

"In a telephone conversation between the two leaders soon
after the ascension of Megawati to the presidency, she told the
Prime Minister that she would very much welcome such a visit,"
Leach further said.

However, there has yet to be any further details about the
two-day visit as the schedule is still under discussion, he said.

Megawati, elected as Indonesia's fifth president on July 23,
is scheduled to make an overseas trip to nine member countries of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Aug. 22 and
Howard may be the first head of state to meet Megawati.

The relations between Indonesia and Australia had gone through
a rocky period, especially during the separation of the former
Indonesian province of East Timor in 1999.

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid had visited Australia in
the last days of his tenure, signaling the strong intention of
the two countries to rebuild the deteriorating bilateral ties.

This will be the first visit by Howard to Jakarta after the
settlement of the East Timor issue. (dja)