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Australian FM

to visit Asia

SYDNEY: Australia's new conservative government will launch its drive for closer bilateral ties with Asia this week when foreign minister Alexander Downer makes his first overseas trip since last month's polls ended Labor's rule.

Downer will visit neighbouring Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand following last week's release of what he called the government's foreign policy "road map" which stressed stronger bilateral ties with Asia as its highest priority.

Downer replaced Gareth Evans as foreign minister after Prime Minister John Howard's Liberal-National coalition defeated Paul Keating's Labor government in the March 2 national election.

"Indonesia is a natural first overseas destination and reflects the priority the government will be giving to the relationship with Indonesia," Downer said when he announced the three-nation visit.

Keating promoted closer ties with Asia as Labor's principal foreign policy platform and in particular focused on improving the relationship with Jakarta which culminated in the signing of an historic security pact in December last year.

Downer, who in opposition always rejected Labor accusations he was uninterested in Asia, underlined in Thursday's policy blueprint a greater stress on bilateral ties in the region. This was in contrast, he said, to Labor's emphasis on multilateralism.

During his April 15-18 stay in Jakarta, Downer will hold talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Ali Alatas, and will meet President Suharto.-Reuter