Australian Prime Minister to visit Aceh

February 1, 2005 Australian Prime Minister John Howard will visit Banda Aceh this afternoon.

He will visit the hospital which reopened recently with the help of Australian and German military doctors, and also take a helicopter tour of tsunami-ravaged coastal areas. He will also hold talks with senior Indonesian ministers who are overseeing relief efforts.

Australia has committed AUD$1 Billion in aid over five years to the tsunami recovery, it's largest ever foreign aid program.