Tim Dodd, Jakarta – In a significant thawing of the relationship with Indonesia, President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday withdrew his travel boycott on Australia and said he would like to make an official visit.
President Wahid's request came in a meeting with Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Alexander Downer, in Jakarta yesterday, which was the highest-level contact between the two governments since the Australian-led Interfet military force landed in East Timor in September last year.
President Wahid's visit, expected to occur within the next few months, would be the first to Australia by an Indonesian president in over 25 years, redressing a gross imbalance in top- level visits between the two countries.
The prospect of a visit by the Indonesian leader is highly positive for the Australian Government following the snubs delivered by President Wahid last year when he left Australia off a busy travel agenda that included all Indonesia's significant neighbours, economic partners and aid donors.
After meeting both President Wahid and the Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Alwi Shihab, Mr Downer said he was "very optimistic about the way the relationship is moving ahead". "We've been through a difficult period. We want now to look to the future and rebuild the relationship in a constructive way," he said.
"President Wahid made it clear that he would like to visit Australia. In terms of the timing of such a visit, that is something that the two sides would have to sit down and work out." At yesterday's meeting at Jakarta's Merdeka Palace, President Wahid also offered to co-operate with Australia in dealing with people-smuggling rackets bringing illegal immigrants from the Middle East to Australia via Indonesia.
"The President said that he thought we should work together in solving that problem that we should put together a plan of action for how we are going to do that," Mr Downer said after the meeting.
The Indonesian President also invited the Minister for Immigration, Mr Phillip Ruddock, to visit Indonesia to discuss the people-smuggling issue with Indonesian officials.
After his meeting with Mr Downer, Mr Shihab was measured about the progress made. He said that although the talks had been "productive and constructive", it was too early to say relations had been restored.
"We are still in the process of going forward, restoring relations. There are still misunderstandings that need to be discussed," he said. He also said Indonesia would like to see more investment from Australia.
Mr Downer said yesterday's talks did not dwell on East Timor, the matter that caused the rift between the two countries. "It's fair to say that neither side thinks there's much point in getting into a debate about the history of it now," he said.
But Mr Downer and President Wahid did discuss the violence breaking out across Indonesia and Mr Downer also offered strong support for Indonesia's democratic reforms. He said he told President Wahid that "we wanted him to be able to resolve the problems which he has internally, and in different parts of Indonesia, as soon as possible".
Mr Downer did not meet Vice-President Megawati Soekarnoputri who was visiting the province of Maluku yesterday in a bid to end the violence in which at least another 25 people died at the weekend.
The meeting suggests a significant thawing in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, which was derailed by the East Timor crisis.
Last November, President Wahid famously accused Australia of a childish attitude towards Indonesia. "Is Australia going to stop its childish behaviour towards Indonesia? If not, then I will not go there," he said.
He also refused to co-operate with Australia to stop illegal immigrants. "It's up to the Australian Government to stop them at the borders. Don't blame the Indonesians for that, that's my view," he said in November.