Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) is keen to improve ties with the US military without being disturbed by political issues, the top military commander said here Thursday.

"We want to improve ties [with US], but the road toward the direction should be free from political issues," TNI Chief General Endriartono Sutarto said after a meeting with visiting commander of the US Pacific Command Admiral Thomas Boulton Fargo.

During the meeting, Fargo expressed his government's willingness to resume military ties with Indonesia, the general said.

Sutarto added he and Fargo also had talk on the investigation over the killing of two Americans in Timika, Papua Province, in August 2002.

"When the investigation result tells that TNI personnel involved in the attack, we will continue with the legal proceedings. If there is no evidence, I will simply say no," Sutarto said when asked that US alleges TNI's involvement in the Timika ambush.

Indonesia-US military ties deteriorated in 1999, following an accusation of TNI's supports for pro-Jakarta militias who went rampage and killed hundreds of civilians during and after the UN- sponsored referendum in East Timor.

The US government has since embargoed lethal weapon supplies to Indonesia.