Veronica Brooks, Canberra – Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Tuesday headed to Jakarta to witness the swearing in of Indonesia's new president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, hoping his presence will spur a deeper strategic partnership between the two nations.

Howard, who will be the first Australian leader to attend the inauguration of an Indonesian president, predicted a more robust and mature relationship, not only in the area of combating terrorism in Southeast Asia.

"I know the new president has a very strong commitment to the relationship, as I do. I have a lot of confidence in him," Howard said before departing for the Indonesian capital, his first trip abroad since his conservative government's resounding election win on October 9.

"I wanted by my presence at his inauguration to signal not only great personal goodwill but also the great importance that Australia attaches to the relationship," said Howard.

Both Howard and Yudhoyono recently won landslide election victories and Canberra has flagged the possibility of pursuing a new security pact with the world's most populous Muslim nation.

However, the topic won't be raised during general talks scheduled between the two leaders late Tuesday, Howard said.

Terrorists haven't struck in Australia but 88 of its citizens were among 202 mostly western tourists who perished in the October 2002 Bali bombings. Terrorism again reared its head last month when a car bomb exploded outside Canberra's embassy in Jakarta, killing at least nine Indonesians. Both attacks have been blamed on Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.

Canberra believes Yudhoyono will be an influential figure in the region and tougher on terrorism than his predecessor Megawati Sukarnoputri.

"In an appropriate way and an appropriate time, if there were desire on both sides, we would envisage a more formal arrangement or treaty between our two countries that would pick up a lot of the things that are already the subject of agreement between our agencies in the area of counterterrorism," Howard said.

"We don't see a resurrection of the old security treaty that was ... terminated in 1999 [by Indonesia due to Australia's involvement in East Timor]," he said, adding the establishment of a new security agreement is in no way a test of the relationship between Canberra and Jakarta.

"It's something that might emerge. It would have to be something that both sides felt would better express the relationship between the two countries," Howard added.

Yudhoyono signaled his support for a new pact when he visited Australia in October last year as Indonesia's co-ordinating minister for security.

Howard says deputy sheriff tag 'ridiculous'

Some governments in Asia have been angered by the Liberal-National coalition's apparent role as US President George W. Bush's deputy sheriff in the region, suspicious of Australia's agenda, especially during its intervention in East Timor in the late 1990s.

This simmering unease hasn't been helped by recent decisions taken by Australia to sign up to Washington's Son of Star Wars missile defense program, and to arm its fighter aircraft with long-range air-to-surface missiles.

During the Australian election campaign, Howard also ruffled feathers again by restating his preparedness to use preemptive force abroad as a last resort to prevent a terror attack on home soil.

With four election wins in the past eight and a half years, Howard is close to Bush, having forged closer ties with the White House.

Last year Howard brushed aside public disquiet about the looming assault on Iraq, choosing to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bush as part of the international war against terrorism. Around 2,000 Australian troops, warships and a squadron of fighter aircraft were sent to the Persian Gulf to join US and British forces.

Howard Tuesday rejected Australia's deputy sheriff tag as "ridiculous," arguing Australia's destiny is "very much in the Asia-Pacific region." Howard stressed the importance of greater engagement with Indonesia, notwithstanding cultural differences.

"It's got to be a relationship based on mutual respect and realism and understanding of both our points of difference and also the things that we have in common," he said. "We see Indonesia as an ally and friend in the fight against terrorism. Terrorists are as much the enemy of Indonesia as they are of Australia," he added.

Howard, who in December will become Australia's second-longest serving prime minister, said he didn't ever envisage Australia using preemptive force against Indonesia and his doctrine shouldn't be viewed by neighbors, particularly Indonesia, as antagonistic.

"I was simply stating a principle," said Howard. "The truth is that Australia and Indonesia are close friends," he said.