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)