Jakarta – Australian Prime Minister John Howard yesterday reassured President Abdurrahman Wahid that Australia respects Indonesia's territorial integrity, and agreed to patch up diplomatic relations.

"Any suggestions anywhere that Australia supports the Papuan independence movements is wrong," Mr Howard was quoted by Reuters as saying after meeting Mr Abdurrahman in Tokyo. "I don't think Papua is a problem between our two countries. It isn't and it won't be," Mr Howard added.

Some 3,000 tribal leaders and activists last week held a congress in Irian Jaya that ended with a declaration that the province's incorporation into Indonesia in the 60s was invalid. Mr Abdurrahman rejected the decision and his government also attacked the presence of Australian NGOs at the congress, accusing them of interference.

However, the Indonesian President said he hoped to visit Australia soon despite the fact that many people in Indonesia now object because there were "certain Australians who have aided the declaration of independence by the Papuan people last week".

Ties between Jakarta and Canberra have been rocky since Australia led a UN-sanctioned peacekeeping force that quelled pro-Indonesian violence in East Timor.

The European Union also reasserted its support for Indonesia's territorial integrity on Thursday, after the Papuan Peoples' Congress declared that West Papua was not part of Indonesia.

In a statement, the European Union said: "The EU has repeatedly stressed its support for a strong, democratic, united and prosperous Indonesia. It has also stressed its support for Indonesia's territorial integrity, and for efforts of the current Indonesian government to solve problems, such as Aceh and Irian Jaya, through peaceful negotiation." The United States has also rejected the Papuans' declaration of independence.

[On June 9, Antara reported that Japan has also expressed support for Indonesia's integrity and opposed the breakaway of West Papua - James Balowski.]