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Australian MPs surprised at warm reception in Indonesia
The first Australian parliamentary delegation to visit Indonesia since relations between the two countries soured over East Timor in 1999, has expressed surprise at the lack of resentment encountered.
The delegation's deputy leader Neil O'Keefe told a media conference in Jakarta that he personally had been expecting troubled waters.
Delegation head Andrew Southcott, an MP from the ruling Liberal party, said that rather than any lingering resentment, the relationship has continued to thaw.
The bipartisan six-man delegation has been in Jakarta since Sunday, meeting Indonesian parliamentary leaders Amien Rais and Akbar Tanjung, and representatives of Australian mining companies.
They also met Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri who showed no hint of her reported coolness towards Australia over its intervention in the Indonesian military-led militia violence that swept East Timor after its vote for independence almost two years ago.
Mr O'Keefe said Megawati was particularly interested in improving communications between Australia and Indonesia.
5/07/01 0:07:21 | ABC Radio Australia News
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