Downer to visit Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Alexander Downer will add to the list of dignitaries who have visited Indonesia over the past two weeks with his scheduled Sunday arrival for a three-day visit.

In a press release received here yesterday, Downer described the visit as an important opportunity to personally extend the Australian government's support of the Indonesian government as it implements the measures set out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package which was announced last week.

"Australia, as a friend and close neighbor, has significant bilateral and regional interests in Indonesia overcoming its current economic difficulties," he said.

Downer said that during the visit he would also discuss the impact of the drought in Irian Jaya and further options for Australian assistance.

President Soeharto promised wide-ranging and painful reforms in a new deal with IMF.

The reform program is part of a three-year IMF standby arrangement giving the government access to US$43 billion in funds to restore international confidence and arrest the slide of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar.

The reforms, stipulated in a 13-document personally signed by Soeharto, came amid a slew of foreign dignitaries arriving here to talk with Indonesian officials about the economic crisis. (10)