Megawati to make US visit

The Indonesian President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, has accepted an invitation to visit the United States next month.

The invitation from President Bush was conveyed by his trade representative, Robert Zoellick, during a meeting in Jakarta.

Mr Zoellick said after the two-hour meeting that Mr Bush had asked him to express his strong personal support for the new administration in Jakarta.

He said the cabinet announced by Megawati on Thursday appeared extraordinarily strong, and capable of dealing with Indonesia's economic, political and security issues.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service