I will go to Banda Aceh in Indonesia on Wednesday 2 February to visit Australian Defence Force and other personnel engaged in disaster relief operations in the devastated province of Aceh.
I will also meet senior Indonesian civilian and military officials involved in managing the relief effort on the ground.
While in Banda Aceh, I will meet Australian aviation personnel at the airport, medical staff working at the ANZAC field hospital and engineers working to clear wreckage and reconnect water supply.
I will also meet personnel working for the Australian Government's overseas aid agency, AusAID, who are making a vital contribution to the relief effort.
In discussions with senior Indonesian officials, including Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda and the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, I hope to gain insights into how Australia can work with Indonesian authorities in the period ahead as we embark on the next phase of the relief work and as we begin the recovery and reconstruction phases.
These insights will be very valuable as we move forward with the $1 billion Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development package announced by President Yudhoyono and myself on 5 January. Work to begin implementation of the Partnership is well underway.
The generosity of the Australian people in response to the terrible devastation wrought by the Indian Ocean tsunamis has been remarkable. In particular, we owe a great debt and are very proud of the many Australians in our armed forces and others in civilian relief and community organisations who have given up their time to use their skills to help those in Aceh whose lives have been ruined by the disaster. I hope to be able to personally to recognise and congratulate these fine Australians on their work, and to appreciate directly the challenges faced by the Acehnese people and the Indonesian government.