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Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Thursday insisted Indonesia's president was not offended after reports that an MP fell asleep during a landmark parliamentary address.
Rudd said he did not know whether opposition lawmaker Peter Slipper dozed off during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 40-minute speech, but said visiting leaders deserved "appropriate respect".
"Knowing SBY pretty well, I'm sure he didn't take offence at someone nodding off," Rudd told reporters, referring to the president by his initials.
"But I think it's very important that when we have important addresses by visiting heads of government that they are treated with appropriate respect."
Slipper has denied sleeping during the address after being photographed with his eyes closed and attracting real-time Twitter comments from journalists in the press gallery.
"I thought it was a great speech," he told the Sunshine Coast Daily. "I did not sleep. I'm not saying that I didn't close my eyes. If I'd known there was a camera, I wouldn't have closed my eyes."
United States President Barack Obama is also due to address parliament this month, a rare honour given to only a handful of foreign leaders.
