Jakarta – Indonesia and the United States are to discuss a possible resumption of security cooperation, during a meeting here next month, foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said.

"We believe that talks on a possible resumption of military ties is one of the main items in the agenda of the meeting," Natalegawa told AFP.

The meeting, set for April 25 and 26, will serve as a follow-up to talks between President Megawati Sukarnoputri and US President George W. Bush in Washington last September, Natalegawa said.

The United States severed most military ties after Indonesian troops were implicated in the bloody rampage that followed East Timor's vote for independence from Jakarta in August 1999.

News of next month's meeting has come amid growing concern among some Western countries about Indonesia's potential as a refuge for international terrorists. Indonesia has also faced pressure from within and outside southeast Asia to take action against alleged terrorist leaders but has played down the threat.

Natalegawa declined to say if the meeting would discuss a possible role for the US military in helping Indonesian troops hunt down terrorists. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has said he did not rule out the possibility of joint military training in counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics operations.