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Rudd heads to Aceh for aid relief inspection

By Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson

Posted June 14, 2008 06:44:00

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd heads to Aceh today to see how Australian tsunami aid money has been spent.

The Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 saw Australia commit $1 billion to reconstruction and development projects in Indonesia and so far $440 million has been spent.

Mr Rudd will visit an Islamic School and an aquaculture farming project built with this assistance.

While in Jakarta Mr Rudd has focused on his vision of promoting an Australia-Indonesia partnership on the world stage.

"I think it sends a powerful message out to the rest of the world if our two countries, our two cultures are seen working together," he said.

Australia and Indonesia have agreed to work together on a proposal for a regional centre for disaster relief coordination.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, international-aid-and-trade, government-and-politics, federal-government, foreign-affairs, person, rudd-kevin, australia, indonesia, aceh

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