Jakarta - The leaders of Indonesia's two largest political parties met Thursday to discuss a possible alliance ahead of this year's presidential elections.

The meeting between Vice President Jusuf Kalla and former president Megawati Sukarnoputri could pave the way for a coalition that could threaten reelection chances of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Megawati, who chairs the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has been nominated to run in the July presidential election and is seeking a running mate that could boost her electability.

Jakarta - Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Friday that the European Union's (EU's) ban on the country's airlines, imposed after a spate of air accidents that killed hundreds of people in recent years, has been good for spurring the improvement of local aviation safety.

Kalla made the statement one day after the EU decided to continue its ban on 51 Indonesian airlines, which was imposed on July 6 last year. The EU said a lot of improvements are still needed by Indonesia to fully meet with international air safety standards.