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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at Merdeka Palace here on Friday.

The Australian prime minister arrived at the palace at 9 in the morning and were received by President Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhohono.

Yudhoyono and Rudd, who arrived in Jakarta on Thursday for his first state visit since taking power in November last year, are expected to discuss various issues and then to witness the signing of a cooperation agreement on forests management and carbon trading between the two countries.

After the meeting with President Yudhoyono, Rudd will meet with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the vice presidential palace for about 30 minutes, and then to meet with businessmen and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan.

In the afternoon, the Australian prime minister will meet with the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Agung Laksono, and visit the headquarters of Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama to sign a cooperation agreement on disaster management between Australian government and the Indonesia`s two largest Muslim organizations.

In the meeting with President Yudhoyono, Rudd was accompanied by Secretary of the Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Department Michael L`estrange and the country`s ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer, while President Yudhoyono was accompanied by a number of his cabinet ministers.

Rudd during his two-day visit to Indonesia will also travel to Nanggroe Aceh Darusalam province on Saturday to visit the areas devastated by the 2004 deadly tsunami.

In a speech to the Asia Society in Sydney on June 4, 2008, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlined his government`s vision for an Asia Pacific Community, especially in relation with Indonesia.

Rudd also emphasized the Australian government`s commitment to comprehensive engagement with Asia, particularly Indonesia, as the third pillar of his government`s foreign policy.

He traveled to Indonesian island resort of Bali in December last year to attend the United Nations Framework of Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC).

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