PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO ARRIVES IN PORT MORESBY

Port Moresby, March 11 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his entourage arrived in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG), here on Thursday.

The Garuda Airbus A330 presidential plane landed at Jackson International airport where Yudhoyono was greeted by PNG Prime Minister Michael T Somare.

The president was received at a state welcoming ceremony which included cannon shots and the playing of the two countries' national anthems. Yudhoyono also inspected a guard of honor as part of the welcoming ceremony.

His agenda during the two-day state visit includes a bilateral meeting with the PNG Premier on Friday (March 120.

On Thursday evening, Yudhoyono is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the PNG Governor General.

He is also expected to meet the PNG opposition leader and Prime Minister Somare and wife at Crown Plaza hotel.

On Friday, after holding the bilateral meeting, both countries' heads of government would give a joint press conference, and later Yudhoyono would meet members of the Indonesian community in PNG at the Indonesian embassy.

At 12.40 local time on the same day, Yudhoyono and his entourage will leave Port Moresby to return to Jakarta where he would arrive at 3.40 pm Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).

Prior to his visit to PNG, President Yudhoyono made a two-day state visit to Australia.

The Indonesian and Australian governments agreed on Wednesday to intensify discussions on efforts to fight against people smuggling.

Yudhoyono said the two countries had agreed to step up the fight against people smuggling to Australia through Indonesia.

"Discussions on transnational crime including people smuggling will continue to be intensified so we can cooperate more effectively," President Yudhoyono said at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after a bilateral meeting at Australian Parliament building in Canberra on Wednesday.

His entourage included around 100 people like Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, State Minister for Environment Gusti Muhammad Hatta, Agriculture Minister Suswono, and a number of provincial governors.