FM Rudd in Jakarta to mend ties

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will hold talks with Indonesian ministers on Friday in an attempt to mend ties after his country banned cattle exports to Indonesia and jailed four underage Indonesian fishermen.

Australia announced Wednesday it lifted the ban on its US$350 million, a year cattle export, stressing that a new set of strict conditions would be applied to ensure animals were treated humanely.

However, Indonesian officials apparently are still waiting for a clearer explanation from Australia on how and when the trade will be resumed.

Indonesia’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurti, for instance, said after Australia announced the lifting that Jakarta had not received information regarding the decision.

On Friday morning, Rudd will meet Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa, Agriculture Minister Suswono and Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu to discuss the resumption of cattle exports before discussing political and security affairs with his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa in the afternoon.

The Gillard administration is under fire for using an 80-year-old wrist X-ray technique to determine the ages of Indonesian crew members. More than 60 Indonesians in custody have claimed they are under 18.