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)