Vatican City, Dec 13, 2011 / 16:00 pm
Australia and Indonesia are set to appoint two new resident ambassadors to the Holy See, easing fears in Rome that some countries would follow in the footsteps of Ireland, which is closing its Vatican embassy.
Australia’s present Vatican ambassador, Tim Fischer, is due to step down in January. He was appointed in 2008 as the country’s first resident ambassador to the Holy See since the two states established relations in 1973.
Indonesia, meanwhile, has not had a resident ambassador in Rome since the early 2011 departure of Suprapto Martosetomo.
Ireland’s decision to withdraw from Rome fueled fears that other country's diplomatic posts would remain unfilled or that other embassies to the Vatican might close. So far, that has not happened.