Canberra, 20 November 1975
O.CH291591 SECRET PRIORITY
Australian Relations with Indonesia
For Woolcott
- The Prime Minister would be glad if you would convey a message to President Soeharto indicating the great importance which Mr Fraser attaches to Australia’s relations with Indonesia and that the Prime Minister, should he be returned to power on 13 December, will be seeking to build up further those relations and to establish close personal ties with the President.1
- The Prime Minister wants you to say that he recognizes the need for Indonesia to have an appropriate solution for the problem of Portuguese Timor. He regrets such irritants to Australia’s relations with Indonesia as the actions by Australian trade-unions with regard to Indonesian shipping as have been caused by this question.
- You should make it known to President Soeharto too that in the event of the present Government being returned at the elections on 13 December, the Prime Minister proposes that the Foreign Minister should make an early visit to Jakarta for conversations with Indonesian Ministers.
- The Prime Minister wants you to tell the President, in addition, that pending the elections Ministers will not (repeat not) receive Ramos Horta or any other representative of FRETILIN should he come to Australia.
- The Indonesians should be informed that the Prime Minister wants the transmission and contents of his message to remain secret.
[NAA: A11443, [14]]
- 1 See Document 341.