Howard arrives on working visit

Howard arrives on working visit

JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who
arrived here yesterday for a two-day working visit, will hold a
discussion with President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace this
morning.

During the meeting, the two leaders will likely focus their
attention on economic and political issues, especially the
ongoing Southeast Asian currency crisis, palace officials said
yesterday.

However, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said on Monday
that the Australian government was not likely to offer special
assistance for Indonesia during the meeting.

"So far, there is no indication of that," Moerdiono said.

This will be the second visit for Howard after his state visit
here in September last year just a few months after he replaced
Paul Keating as prime minister.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesian
exports to Australia were worth US$1.2 billion in 1996, mostly in
furniture, footwear, textile, petroleum and paper products.

Indonesian imports from Australia during the same period
totaled $2.53 billion, mostly raw cotton, cattle, crude oil,
aluminum, copper and zinc.

"Indonesia is Australia's eighth largest export market, its
10th largest trading partner... and its 12th largest source of
imports," the Australian embassy said in a statement yesterday.

To strengthen their bilateral relationship, the two countries
signed an Agreement on Maintaining Security on Dec. 18, 1995.

The agreement was regarded as an umbrella for other efforts to
forge closer bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, Indonesian officials said Howard may also raise the
question of Indonesia's human rights record and issues relating
to East Timor during his meeting with Soeharto.

After meeting with Soeharto, Howard is due to meet Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and other senior officials. He and his
entourage will leave for Australia this evening. (prb)