JP/4/VISIT

JP/4/VISIT

President plans more overseas trips

Muninggar Sri Saraswati
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is planning to visit a number
of countries including Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, the
U.S., and several other Asian and European nations, according to
an official.

Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said on Thursday that
the foreign ministry is currently making a schedule for the
planned visits, as well as deciding which country the president
will visit the first.

"We're matching (the schedule of the visits) with the
conditions in those countries," he said.

Andi explained that the president would not make foreign
visits too often as there must be sufficient time to handle the
country's domestic affairs.

He said that the planned overseas trips were also being made
to reciprocate visits by foreign leaders including those who
attended Susilo's inauguration as President.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Singapore Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Brunei Darussalam's King Hassanal
Bolkiah, East Timor's Mari Alkatiri and Australia's Prime John
Howard attended Susilo's presidential inauguration in October
last year.

Some have also subsequently re-visited the country for
bilateral talks.

Susilo earlier this week visited Malaysia and Singapore.

Susilo has also visited Egypt for the funeral of Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat, and Chile for the APEC meeting, both of
which were in November. He has said that he would only make
foreign trips in accordance with the country's needs.