New ambassador to Australia nominated

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)