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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott are expected to mention issues concerning asylum seekers from Indonesia to Australia as well as the fate of Indonesian minors in Australian detention when the two meet in the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Monday.

Presidential spokesman for foreign affairs Teuku Faizasyah confirmed the meeting, saying that he did not know the details of the topics to be discussed by the two leaders.

 “The meeting will be a courtesy call on Abbott’s side. When meeting with the President in Darwin, Australia, Abbott expressed a desire [to meet with] the President,” Faizasyah told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Faizasyah was referring to the second Indonesia-Australia Annual Leader’s Meeting held in Australia’s most-northern city in July.

While Abbot is expected to be accompanied by aides including his foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop, and immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, Yudhoyono is scheduled to be accompanied by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, among other officials.

Observers have suggested that, among other crucial issues concerning Indonesia-Australia relations, the issue of asylum seekers will likely be raised.

On the Indonesian side, many expect Yudhoyono to renew talks about young Indonesian boat crews currently in Australian detention.

As of July, there were still 54 Indonesian children in Australian detention while 215 others have been released.

Meanwhile, Abbott said that he would focus on business issues, particularly on the cattle trade and agricultural cooperation, as well as tourism, regional security, education and food security.

 “This is an important visit for me. In some respects, the relationship with Indonesia is our most important one because of Indonesia’s proximity, size and potential. Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest country, third largest democracy, and largest Muslim nation,” Abbott said on his official website www.tonyabbott.com.au.

To The Australian, Abbott said he would also “build relationships on cracking down on people-smuggling”. But he did not mention whether he would raise his coalition’s policy to “turn back boats carrying asylum-seekers to Indonesia waters”.

In his meeting with Yudhoyono in Darwin, Abbott failed to raise the issue of boat people.

Faizasyah downplayed potential negative impressions of an Indonesian head of state having an official meeting with an opposition leader of a friendly state.

“I’d rather see it positively. The meeting should be considered as an effort to maintain a good bilateral relationship that can be reached by being engaged in ties both with the government and the opposition,” he said.

Abbott and his entourage have been in Indonesia since Thursday. With Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, he attended the 2002 Bali bombing memorial service in Denpasar, Bali, on Friday.

Yudhoyono did not attend the Bali ceremony and instead decided to undergo a medical check-up with his wife, Ani Yudhoyono.