Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that the President of Indonesia, His Excellency KH Abdurrahman Wahid, had advised the New Zealand Government that he plans to visit New Zealand on 27 and 28 June.

President Wahid and several ministers are due to arrive in Christchurch on the afternoon of 27 June and depart early the following day.

The President will meet with Governor-General Dame Sylvia Cartwright, Prime Minister Helen Clark, Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton and other cabinet ministers before attending a state dinner on Wednesday evening.

“President Wahid is the democratically elected leader of the fourth most populous country in the world," Helen Clark said.

“Indonesia is going through a difficult political transition following many years of authoritarian rule. Recent events there remind us of those difficulties.

“The government welcomes the opportunity to discuss with President Wahid and his ministers current developments in Indonesia, how New Zealand might best support Indonesia’s democratic transition, and our mutual interests in the region and internationally,” Helen Clark said.

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