JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The leaders of Indonesia and Australia said Wednesday the two countries’ sometimes stormy ties were on the mend following their first meeting since a damaging row last year over spying allegations and people smuggling.

Good bilateral relations are important for the neighboring countries, but historical, cultural and political sensitivities have often meant periods of volatility. Australia is viewed with suspicion by some nationalists in Jakarta, who have not forgotten its role in sending troops to East Timor in 1999 when that territory broke away from Jakarta.