AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE VISITS RI

Jakarta, May 5 (ANTARA) - Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, is visiting Indonesia from 2-7 May, 2009.

Indonesia is Australia's largest development assistance partner, according to a press statement of the Australian embassy here on Tuesday.

"Australia is committed to working in partnership with Indonesia to meet its Millennium Development Goals and to create a better life for the poorest people in Indonesia," McMullan said.

On May 2 to 4, McMullan attended the 42nd Asia Development Bank Annual Meeting in Bali. While there, he was scheduled to jointly launch a new Investment Case by the Maternal, Newborn and
Child Health Network for Asia with Asia Development Bank Vice President, Dr Ursula Schaefer-Preuss.

This new Investment Case highlights the urgent need to accelerate progress in the world's poorest region towards Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, which aim to reduce child and maternal mortality and achieve universal access to reproductive health.

McMullan then traveled to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara where he would inaugurate a junior secondary school that was constructed under the Australia Indonesia Basic Education Program.

Under this program, Australia is providing funding to assist Indonesia build or expand 2000 junior secondary schools.

Mr McMullan was also scheduled to launch a new Investment Case by the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Network for Asia with Asia Development Bank Vice President, Dr Ursula Schaefer-
Preuss.

This new Investment Case highlights the urgent need to accelerate progress in the world's poorest region towards Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, which aim to reduce child and maternal mortality and achieve universal access to reproductive health.

McMullan then traveled to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara where he would inaugurate a junior secondary school that was constructed under the Australia Indonesia Basic Education Program.

Under this program, Australia is providing funding to assist Indonesia build or expand 2000 junior secondary schools.

Through the development assistance program, Australia and Indonesia work in partnership to alleviate poverty and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity. In 2008-09 Australia will
provide an estimated $462 million in development assistance to Indonesia.