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)