Top U.S. image-builder pays a visit

Top U.S. image-builder pays a visit

The United States' new public relations chief hopes to boost ties with the world's most populous Muslim nation during a three-day visit that kicked off on Thursday, officials said.

Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, a longtime confidante of President George W. Bush, was to meet with senior Indonesian government officials, students and members of non-governmental organizations, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Max Kwak.

She will also make a brief stop to the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh for a firsthand look at reconstruction efforts. She attended an iftar, the meal that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast during the Muslim holy month Ramadhan, with U.S. embassy officials, students and activists on Thursday.

"She wants to increase mutual understanding between the two countries," said Kwak, who could not make her itinerary public.

Hughes assumed the position of undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs two months ago. She traveled to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey last month, where she was pounded by criticism about American policies toward Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. -- AP