Australian warships dock in Makassar
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi | Fri, 09/24/2010 3:47 PM
Friend’s ship: Local dancers greet Australian warship HMAS Success as it anchors at Soekarno-Hatta seaport in Makassar on Friday. HMAS Success and HMAS Arunta are visiting the city as part of efforts to boost ties between Indonesian and Australian navies. – JP/Andi Hajramurni
Two Royal Australian Navy (RAN) warships anchored at Soekarno-Hatta seaport in Makassar on Friday for a four-day visit to the South Sulawesi capital.
Traditional dances and a drum band performance greeted the crew members of HMAS Success and HMAS Arunta as they set feet on Makassar soil.
During their stay in Makassar the Australian navy officers will visit the Indonesian naval base and the mayor’s office in the city. In return, they invite provincial administration officials to board the two warships and will hold a meeting with teachers and students who will take part in an exchange program in Australia.
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HMAS Success commander Anthony Reyner said the visit was part of efforts to boost ties between navies of the two neighboring countries.
Two other Australian warships, HMAS Tobruk and HMAS Toowoomba, will visit Surabaya on Sept. 25-28 and will take part in a joint war exercise with the Indonesian Navy.
