Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono became the first world's leader to congratulate Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd as the new Australian prime minister, with analysts predicting better bilateral relations between the two countries in the future.

"We welcome the election of Kevin Rudd. President Yudhoyono has called him to convey his congratulations. Both leaders agreed to cooperate to constructively improve both countries' bilateral relations," Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo said.

He said the fact that President Yudhoyono was the first leader to congratulate Rudd showed how it was important for both countries to have good relations.

In their conversation, Yudhoyono immediately invited Rudd to attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, with the latter accepting the invitation.

"President Yudhoyono formally invited me to attend the Bali conference, which will of course deal with climate change and where we go to now on Kyoto. I responded positively." (Reuters)

The conservative John Howard's nearly 12 years in power ended Saturday when he was ousted by center-left Labor Party leader Rudd, who has pledged to pull the country's troops out of Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol.

Rudd said he discussed Kyoto's ratification with Yudhoyono and unveiled planned talks with officials and advisers about administrative arrangements for the ratification as soon as possible.

"I also emphasized to President Yudhoyono the absolute importance of a strong bilateral relationship between ourselves and Indonesia and I look forward also, some time in the new year, to further visit Indonesia to extend and broaden our relationship with that country," Rudd was quoted as saying by (AFP).

Indonesian analysts and lawmakers were also buoyant with Rudd's election, foreseeing much better relations between the two countries in the future.

International relations expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences Dewi Fortuna Anwar said Rudd represented new generations that are very comfortable with their Australia while having an awareness of being part of Asia.

Although Howard was also trying to have closer relations with Asia, among others by becoming part of the East Asia Summit and concluding a defense agreement with Indonesia, he and his Liberal Party are associated with being more attached to their European roots despite being in Asia.

"The new generations are becoming more and more comfortable with Asia so the election of Rudd will open the possibility of Australian engagement in Asia. Also, it can be expected that Indonesian economic and cultural relations with Australia will improve further under Labor," she told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Bantarto Bandoro of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and head of the House of Representatives' Commission I on international affairs Theo L. Sambuaga of the Golkar Party concurred with Dewi, saying that considering the history of Labor's attachment to Indonesia, for instance under former prime minister Paul Keating, Indonesia and Australia would have much better relations with Rudd as Prime Minister.

The three also agreed that Rudd's plan to have Australia sign the Kyoto Protocol would somewhat change the atmosphere of the climate change meeting in Bali, with fewer opportunities for the U.S. to "ruin the agenda" of parties to Kyoto.

But Dewi said Indonesia-Australia relations would still be marred by problems, with Papua as an ongoing source of tension, and the possibility of the Balibo Five controversy becoming prominent because both issues concern Labor constituents more than Liberal supporters (The Jakarta Post, 26/11/07)