New ambassador to Australia nominated

JAKARTA (JP): The government of Indonesia named Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, a career diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign affairs as the candidate to fill the vacant ambassadorial post in Canberra.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab confirmed the appointment on Wednesday saying that Sudjadnan, with his experience, is the most appropriate diplomat to hold the position.

"We issued the appointment two weeks ago and we are waiting for it to be processed through the House of Representatives. I hope it can be finished within one month," Alwi told journalists after the installation of Abdul Wahid as Indonesia's Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Bilateral ties between the two countries have gone through an extremely rocky period since Australia led a multinational peacekeeping force in East Timor last year. One very important task for the Ambassador will be to improve the strained ties.

Alwi further said the ministry expected Sudjadnan would be installed along with nine other Indonesian Ambassadorial candidates in March.

The leading position in Canberra was left vacant after the ministry appointed the then Indonesian ambassador to Australia Arizal Effendi as the ministry's new secretary-general in November, after holding the ambassadorial post for just 11 months.

Sudjadnan currently serves as the ministry director of International Organizations. He has held the position since late 1999.

He was one of the leading figures at the ministry to handle the East Timor problem, including the agreement to settle the remaining issues after the separation of the former province.

When asked to comment on his appointment, Sudjadnan just said: "We just have to wait until the whole process in the House is finished."

Alwi also announced on Wednesday that he may hold a meeting with the new United States Secretary of State Collin Powell in March.

"The date is still tentatively set between 10 to 13 of March. We are going to hold bilateral talks especially on the current political situation in Indonesia," he said.

He further said that earlier this month Minister of Trade and Industry Luhut Panjaitan held a meeting with Powell and in the meeting the United States confirmed their support for the country. (dja)