Posted on 01/03/2006 4:26:15 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will leave Saturday on her first trip to Indonesia and Australia, seeking to boost US ties with the region on several fronts, officials said.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Ms Rice would hold bilateral talks with the Indonesians on issues ranging from military ties to democratic reform and efforts to stave off a bird flu pandemic.
The scheduled visit was another sign of improved relations between the US and the world's most populous Muslim nation, which had been strained by US concerns over abuses by Indonesian troops in East Timor.
The US has progressively resumed defence training and other exchanges with Jakarta and last month decided to restart military grants to help combat terrorism and step up maritime security and disaster relief.
Ms Rice was to wind up her five-day trip in Australia, where she will hold strategic talks with her Australian and Japanese counterparts and attend a climate change conference also including China, India and South Korea, Mr McCormack said.
Well let's just hope that Condi can make as inspiring and strong of a statement as she did in Germany.... /s
Notice how Canada is being left out of matters pertaining to the Asia-Pacific.
I'm pretty sure she find a lame excuse to get out of going
to Aussieland....
She's got far more important things to do (like shopping).
To keep you up to date on this issue:
Downer to meet Rice in US
January 07, 2006
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Alexander Downer will meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington next week, after she was forced to cancel a scheduled trip to Australia.
Ms Rice was to meet ministers from Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea at the first Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in Sydney.
But she scrapped the trip to monitor the condition of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who is critically ill after a stroke.
A spokesman for Mr Downer, who is currently in Mexico, said the minister would go to the US capital tomorrow.
He and Ms Rice would discuss climate change, as well as regional security issues and the situation in the Middle East at their meeting on Monday, the spokesman said.
A significant American delegation would still attend next week's climate forum in Sydney, he said.
A spokesman for the US State Department said Ms Rice would likely visit Australia in March.
I trust you are keeping up with the Canadian elections. I refer, in particular, to the following story in the G & M:
How Harper fashioned his lead
Willingness to delegate, informal help from Australia give the Tory Leader an edge heading into final debates
2:56 AM | FULL STORY
Oh Sheit... I was already nervous about our chances.
With Aussie "help" we're doomed..
I thought Harper was smarter than that....
Of course, Canada's importance in the Western Asia-Pacific region is only barely above that of Sweden. Which is - not much.
(technically, the term Asia-Pacific should extend all the way to the West Coast of North and South America so places like LA or Tijuna or Vancouver or Santiago are equally as Asian-Pacific as Bangkok, Seoul, Sydney, but it is another matter)
Heck, even Thailand or Singapore have far mroe influence upon world, not only Asia-Pacific, affairs than Canada is today.
I am optimistic. I think Canada's influence in the world will increase significantly if Harper is elected. I can just see Harper, Howard and Bush being photographed together at the next APEC gathering.
I believe she cancelled this trip yesterday, because of the situation in Israel.
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