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.