The vice president also met Western Australian Premier Colin Bernett.Melbourne (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Vice President Boediono, accompanied by his wife, Herawati Boediono, continued his state visit to Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday.
He left Canberra Thursday morning and arrived at Melbourne International Airport using the Presidential Plane Indonesia 2, a Boeing 737-400 TNI AU.
Melbourne is the third Australian city the vice president is visiting in his state visit to Australia from November 10 to 16.
Earlier, on Sunday night, the vice president arrived in Perth, Western Australia, to attend a number of invitations, including one from the University of Western Australia.
The vice president also met Western Australian Premier Colin Bernett.
Boedionos next stop was Canberra, where he held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Toni Abbott.
In Canberra, Boediono visited the Australian National University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in social science.
In Melbourne, he will meet Indonesian citizens staying in the Australian city. He is also scheduled to visit Monash University to deliver a public lecture.
In addition, the vice president is expected to attend the Australia-Indonesia Business Forum and meet several Australian business personalities.
Earlier, the vice presidents deputy secretary for political affairs, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, said that Boediono and Abbott would probably discuss political issues such as the problem of illegal immigrants and the recent wire-tapping controversy.
"The two countries top officials will probably discuss the boat people or illegal immigrants issue and the recent wire-tapping incident," Dewi said.
During the meeting, Boediono and Abbott also inaugurated the Indonesia-Australia Center, which is expected to become a study center for two countries. It will be located at Monash University in Melbourne.
The inauguration of the Center fulfils the promise made by Abbott during his visit to Jakarta recently.
Dewi said the Indonesia-Australia Center aims to generate interest in and improve understanding of Indonesia among Australian students and the community.
Australian Prime Minister Abbot noted that cooperation in the field of education between Indonesia and Australia should continue.
Abbott made the statement in the presence of Boediono during the inauguration ceremony of the Indonesia-Australia Center at 12 noon local time at the Australian Parliament building.
The Australian Prime Minister also expressed the hope that more students from his country would be allowed to study in Indonesia and that more Indonesian tourists would visit Australia.
According to Abbott, the number of Australian students studying in Indonesia is lower than the number of Indonesian students residing in Australia.
(Uu.A14/INE/B003/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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