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Howard welcomes improved ties with Indonesian

MELBOURNE: Prime Minister John Howard welcomed a thawing in the strained relations between Indonesia and Australia on Friday, emphasising the importance of close ties for both countries.

Relations between the neighbours plunged in the latter part of 1999 after Canberra took a key role in leading a multinational force sent to restore peace in East Timor after the territory voted for independence after 24 years of Indonesian rule.

On Friday, Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid, in an interview with the Australian Financial Review newspaper, said he praised Howard's strength and said he did not want to leave the Australian leader out in the cold.

Howard did not express surprise at Wahid's peace offer but said inevitably there was difficulty in the relationship after what happened in East Timor.

"I have through all of the period of the East Timor issue sought to make the point again and again that Australia has no quarrels with Indonesia," Howard told reporters.

"The relationship between our two countries is an extremely important one ... and will remain very high on the government's list of priorities as far as foreign affairs are concerned."

Wahid -- who visited Australia many times before becoming president in October -- travelled widely in the region after his election but avoided Australia, signalling anger over Canberra's criticism of Indonesian military support for militias in East Timor.

The militias launched a campaign of murder and arson after the August 30 vote, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee and leaving much of the territory in ruins. Hundreds of people are thought to have died.

In the newspaper interview, Wahid's conciliatory comments included a desire for Howard "not to be punished" for what his critics among the Indonesian political elite say is his lack of understanding of Asia.

"If we think he is (unschooled about Asia), the challenge remained to make him know," Wahid said.

The president's surprising comments were viewed as putting the onus on Howard to make the next move in rebuilding ties before the Indonesian leader's first official visit to Australia, scheduled for May.

Howard said he was looking forward to the visit, with the exact dates yet to be settled.

"I admire the courage he has displayed in the time that he has been president. He has brought new standards to Indonesia," Howard said.

"He has pioneered an enjoyment of democracy in that country that it hasn't had for a very long time, perhaps ever."-Reuters