CANBERRA, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting Israeli President Moshe Katsav on Wednesday thanked for Australia's efforts in the fight against terrorism during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard as protestors gathered outside the Israeli embassy to protest against the visit.

    Katsav and his wife arrived in Australia on Monday for a week-long visit, which is the first visit to Australia by an Israeli president since 1986.

    He traveled to Canberra earlier Wednesday and spent two hours with Howard including lunch and a meeting. The two leaders also had a private 10-minute chat.

    A spokesman for Katsav described the meeting as extremely warm,during which a peaceful resolution to the tensions between Israel and Palestine was also discussed.

    "Australia unlike some other countries doesn't look for explanations why terror is being employed ... (it just realizes that) terror is terror," said the spokesman.

    "The president told the prime minister that Australia has set an example to the free world in its fight against terrorism," he said.

    Howard said ahead of the meeting that Australia had been, and would always be, a very good friend to Israel.

    The issue of the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat was not raised, said the spokesman.

    Also on Wednesday, Katsav told local television that the expulsion "is not an issue that causes an obstacle or damage to the warm relations between Australia and Israel."

    Katsav attended a reception with members of the Israeli community in Canberra at the Israeli embassy, where about 100 protesters gathered earlier demanding a separate Palestinian state.Enditem