OBAMA TO ARRIVE ON MARCH 23 : MINISTER

Jakarta, March 15 (ANTARA) - US President Barack Obama is expected to arrive in Jakarta as rescheduled on March 23 and leave again on March 25, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said here Monday.

Speaking to the press after a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, Marty said not only was Obama's deperture delayed, his wife, Michelle, and his two daughters Malia and Sasha, would also not be accompanying him on his visit to Indonesia.

"We had initially made preparations for the visit of the US president and his family, but as I said before, there has been a change in the orginal schedule, " the minister said.

"The cancellation of the inclusion of his family in Obama's retinue had nothing to do with the terrorism issues, because we all know Indonesia has been quite successful in dismantling terrorist networks in the country," Marty said.
"We hope very much one day to be able to welcome President Obama with his entire family," he added.

On the detailed itinerary of Obama's visit, the minister was unable to be speficic on Obama's visit to Bali because things were still very much evolving.

But beside Jakarta, Obama would also be visiting other parts of Indonesia, including Bali. A more detailed program of Obama's visits in the regions would be made known by the end of this week.

Obama's visit to Indonesia would also involve the partcipation of a wide spectrum of elements of its civil society as a form of the US government's trust in the guaranteed security of Indonesia.

Marty's meeting with Campbell was to discuss the substance of the bilateral talks during Obama's visit, including an agreement on science and technology, investment guarantees, people-to-people contacts, in the framework of a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (PCA).

"The signifance of Obama's visit is that it will be the beginning, not the conclusion of efforts to strengthen and improve Indonesia-United States relations," said Marty.