Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – New Zealand defense officials arrived in Jakarta on Sunday for a four-day visit aimed at reviving New Zealand's defense relations with Indonesia.

Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Amris Hassan expressed hope the visit would serve as the starting point for wider defense cooperation between Indonesia and New Zealand, not only in the military but also in the fields of humanitarian and disaster relief management.

"This is an important visit as the New Zealand officials will focus on learning how defense cooperation between the two countries can be revived after a seven-year vacuum," Amris told The Jakarta Post on Sunday over the phone from Wellington.

New Zealand cut defense and military ties with Indonesia in 1999 in protest of the Indonesian military's alleged gross human rights abuses in Timor Leste.

New Zealand Defense Force staff college director Air Commodore Terence Gardiner is leading the delegation, which consists of 45 officials from the college, customs office, police headquarters and communication agencies.

During their visit to Indonesia the group will visit Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta, and hold talks with their Indonesian counterparts from the defense ministry, national police headquarters and military.

The delegation will also visit PT Pindad and PT Dirgantara, two producers of military and police equipment in Indonesia.

The visit was initiated following a change in New Zealand's defense policy toward Indonesia, which was announced in December last year by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peter, Amris said.

"It signifies New Zealand's recognition of Indonesia's positive development in human rights, democracy and reform in the TNI (Indonesian Military). The visit is hopefully the beginning of more solid defense ties between the two countries," he said.

Amris said an Indonesian military official, Maj. Purwoko Aji, from the Indonesian Air Force, has been undergoing training at the New Zealand Defense Force Staff College, in Wellington.

Indonesia-New Zealand relations have been strengthened in recent years, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visiting the country in 2005 and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark visiting the archipelago in July this year.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda also met with his counterpart Winston Peter in May to talk about bilateral relations.