Howard to be number one to visit Mega

Howard to be number one to visit Mega

JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard is due to
visit Jakarta from Aug. 12 through Aug. 13, making him the first
head of state to visit Indonesia since Megawati Soekarnoputri was
elected president last month.

Vice presidential secretary Bambang Kesowo said on Wednesday
that it would be a "friendship call" for Howard to wish the new
government luck.

"The two leaders will hold talks on a range of topics,
including East Timor," Bambang said.

The Australian Embassy in Jakarta confirmed that Howard would
arrive on Sunday.

"He (Howard) will be very pleased to meet with President
Megawati in these early days," Australian Embassy counselor
Geoffrey Leach told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said Howard considered the planned meeting between the two
leaders very important as it signaled the countries wanted to
look to the future.

"In their telephone conversation after her election to the
presidency, Megawati told Howard she would very much welcome his
visit to Indonesia," Leach added.

Megawati, elected president on July 23, is scheduled to visit
nine member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) starting Aug. 22.

This will be Howard's first visit to Jakarta after the East
Timor debacle. (dja)