OBAMA'S VISIT IN JUNE SUGGESTED BY RI BEFORE :MINISTER

Jakarta, March 19 (ANTARA) - The postponement of US President Barack Obama's trip to Indonesia to next June is actually a timeframe the Indonesian government had suggested before, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said.

"Obama has now postponed to June his trip not only to Indonesia but also to Guam and Australia, and June is actually the timeframe the Indonesian government had suggested before," Natalegawa said at his office here Friday.

The delay was purely due to the political situation in the US itsels, he said.

According to Natalegawa, the Indonesian government has anticipated the delay and understood the reason behind it.

"We had actually anticipated President Obama's decision to postpone his trip to Indonesia after it was previously delayed from the original schedule of March 20-23 to March 23-25. At the time the Indonesian government already suggested to the US government to postpone it to a more convenient time, namely next June," Natalegawa said.

Asked why it was postponed to June, Natalegawa said it had yet to be confirmed but he thought June would be in the summer holiday season in the United States so Obama would probably have an opportunity to visit Indonesia with his family as he had originally planned.

Meanwhile, a US Embassy press statement here on Friday said President Obama had telephoned his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and told them that he had to postpone his planned visit to the two countries to a later date so he could remain in Washington.

The statement said Obama much regretted the delay but expected to visit Indonesia and Australia in June.

"Our international alliances are critical to America's security and economic progress. But passage of health insurance reform is of paramount importance, and the President is determined to see this battle through," said the US Embassy in its statement.