Wahid cancels Australia visit

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, MARCH 24. An embattled Indonesian President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, has cancelled a scheduled visit to Australia in the early part of April, it was announced in Jakarta today. ``Mr. President has decided that he will postpone his visit to Australia until a further timetable is mutually agreed on between Australia and Indonesia,'' the Foreign Minister, Mr. Alwi Shihab, told reporters.

Speaking to the press after a meeting of senior Cabinet Ministers, Mr. Shihab, a confidant of Mr. Wahid, said: ``The President sees that he needs to focus on the many internal problems this country is facing.''

As is known, Mr. Wahid is a very-travelled Head of State having visited some 50 countries in his 17 months in office. In the past, the President has simply chosen to ignore public opinion and continue with his foreign jaunts. It is not known what prompted Mr. Wahid to cancel his Australia tour (which would have also taken him to New Zealand) at the last moment.

``We are asking for the understanding of the Australian Government that this postponement has absolutely nothing to do with the bilateral relationship between the two countries,'' Mr. Shihab added. Indonesia and Australia have a difficult relationship - with many Indonesians being of the view that Australia was responsible for the separation of East Timor.

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Section  : International
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