New Australian envoy presents credentials

New Australian envoy presents credentials

JAKARTA (JP): The new Australian Ambassador to Jakarta,
Richard Smith, presented his credentials to President Abdurrahman
Wahid at a ceremony at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday.

Also delivering credentials was new South African ambassador
Norman M. Mashabane.

Smith, who was replacing John McCarthy, is one of Australia's
most senior diplomats, the Australian Embassy said in a press
statement.

It said Smith had wide-ranging experience of Asia including
having served as Australian envoy to the People's Republic of
China from February 1996 until February 2000.

Born in Perth in 1944 and educated at the University of
Western Australia, he taught in a Western Australia high school
before joining the then Department of External Affairs in 1969.

He served as Second Secretary in the Australian High
Commission, New Delhi (1970-1973), First Secretary at the
Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv (1975-1977) and Counselor and
Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Manila (1980-
1984).

From 1985 to 1987, Smith headed the Staffing and Organization
Branch in the Department of Foreign Affairs and from 1987 to 1989
he was Consul-General in Honolulu, accredited at the same time to
the Federal States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall
Islands.

He was then promoted to Deputy Secretary in 1992 when he took
particular responsibility for Australia's relations with Asia.

From March 1994 until the end of 1995 he served on secondment
to the Department of Defense as Deputy Secretary.

Director for Political Affairs at the foreign ministry Hasan
Wirayuda, who was also present on Wednesday's ceremony, hopes
Smith's appointment to the post would lead to a thaw in relations
between Canberra and Jakarta.

"With the new environment that is working, we should be able
to regain and improve our relations as good neighbors," Hasan
told reporters.

Ties between Jakarta and Canberra deteriorated after Australia
led an international peacekeeping force to East Timor following
the UN-organized ballot in August 1999.

Analysts believe, however, that the Australian-Indonesian
Ministerial Forum in Canberra last month, the fifth to be held
since 1992, will lead to a thaw in relations between the two
countries. (byg)