Mega wants realistic ties with Australia

JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard arrived here for a working visit on Sunday in a bid to jump start relations with the new Indonesian government.

Both Howard and President Megawati Soekarnoputri after a brief tete-a-tete signaled their desire to establish a solid basis for bilateral ties based on a realistic approach to the respective conditions faced by the two neighbors.

State Secretary Bambang Kesowo told reporters that Megawati "hopes the two nations can be more realistic in facing various problems."

Howard arrived in a commercial carrier and landed at Soekarno- Hatta International Airport just before 6 p.m. He was greeted by Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda.

The visit is extremely symbolic given the context of the Indonesian political scene which saw Megawati appointed President just a fortnight ago and the new Cabinet established 24 hours earlier.

The timing of the visit, the first foreign head of state since Megawati's ascendance, helps to further patch up jarred diplomatic ties between Jakarta and Canberra following the East Timor debacle in 1999.

President Abdurrahman Wahid in June became the first Indonesian leader to visit Australia in two-and-a-half decades.

After separate courtesy calls on Megawati and Vice President Hamzah Haz, Howard also told journalists that both leaders wanted good relations with Australia.

"We recognize there have been some differences in the past, but importantly there's a great deal of residual goodwill," he said while stressing that people should not expect too much too soon.

Howard and Megawati are said to be holding official bilateral talks on Monday.

Both Bambang Kesowo and Hassan Wirayuda noted that the talks are expected to touch on a wide range of bilateral issues including East Timor and Irian Jaya.

However the focus of the discussion is expected to be on ways to foster improved bilateral ties both through government cooperation and people-to-people contacts.

Howard is also due to meet with People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung before he returns home on Monday afternoon. (06/mds)