Bolger briefed on East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto invited New Zealand
\nparliamentarians to visit East Timor, yesterday, to clear up some
\nmisgivings they might have about Indonesia's policy in the former
\nPortuguese colony.<\/p>\n
The invitation was extended through New Zealand Prime Minister
\nJim Bolger during their meeting at the Merdeka Palace, State
\nSecretary Moerdiono told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The President explained that Indonesia never had any
\nintentions of annexing East Timor. We simply accepted the wishes
\nof the East Timor people who wished to join with the republic. We
\nhad to respect the strong desire of the East Timorese people in
\nchoosing their own fate,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
The East Timor question was raised by Bolger, who prior to
\nleaving Wellington, was under pressure from more than half of
\nparliament to press the issue with Soeharto.<\/p>\n
\"The President explained to the New Zealand prime minister
\nthat there appeared to be some misunderstanding among the New
\nZealand people (on East Timor) ... which is likely caused by
\ninaccurate information,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto's invitation was intended \"to allow the
\nparliamentarians to see for themselves the achievements made by
\nthe province since its integration,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
New Zealand, together with Australia, is one of the few
\nWestern countries that recognizes the formal integration of East
\nTimor with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been fighting hard to gain international
\nrecognition of East Timor's integration in 1976, but the fight
\nwas often thwarted by charges of human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
Bolger told a press conference later that he was surprised to
\nhear that his country's parliamentarians \"fully understood the
\ndetails (of events in East Timor) in the degree or to the extent
\nthat Foreign Minister Ali Alatas does.\"<\/p>\n
And in a joint press statement, Bolger said he was encouraged
\nby steps Indonesia had taken in the implementation of agreed
\nconfidence building measures during the talks with Lisbon on East
\nTimor earlier this month in Geneva.<\/p>\n
Bolger expressed the hope that the Jakarta-Lisbon dialog would
\nlead to \"a just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable
\nsettlement to the question of East Timor.\"<\/p>\n
Bilateral trade<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said Soeharto and Bolger also discussed bilateral
\ntrade relations and preparations for the upcoming leadership
\nmeeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
\nplanned in Jakarta in November.<\/p>\n
At a banquet held in Bolger's honor last night, Soeharto
\naffirmed Indonesia's participation in the APEC programs created
\nat the first APEC leaders meeting in Seattle last year.<\/p>\n
\"We are sure that APEC will have a positive impact on the
\nwelfare of nations in the region,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On bilateral trade, President Soeharto said intense exchange
\nvisits between top officials of the two countries over the last
\nfew years have accounted for the growth in trade relations.<\/p>\n
\"But we are also aware the good relations are partly due to
\nNew Zealand's participation in the Consultative Group on
\nIndonesia (CGI),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Last year, Wellington pledged $2.7 million in aid to Indonesia
\nthrough the CGI.<\/p>\n
Bolger, at a luncheon meeting with New Zealand and Indonesian
\nbusiness people at the Shangri-La hotel, encouraged further trade
\nrelations between the two countries.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is a huge market for New Zealand. It is therefore
\nvaluable both as a neighbor and as a business partner.\"<\/p>\n
Cooperation<\/p>\n
He said cooperation could increase considerably in fields such
\nas power, manufacturing industries and services, construction
\nengineering and information technology.<\/p>\n
\"We recognize Indonesia's importance in international matters
\nof consequence to New Zealand...but we also hope that Indonesian
\nbusiness people should not underestimate the potential for
\neconomic links with New Zealand,\" Bolger said.<\/p>\n
Non-oil exports from Indonesia to New Zealand rose by 29
\npercent from $34.83 million in 1992 to $44.97 million last year.
\nOil and gas exports grew by more than five fold from $2.57
\nmillion to $16.33 million.<\/p>\n
Trade between the two has resulted in an increasing surplus
\nfor New Zealand, from $37.84 million in 1990 to $89.81 million in
\n1991, $98.50 million in 1992, and $88.13 million as of October
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
New Zealand stands 31st on Indonesia's list of foreign
\ninvestors with seven committed projects valued at US$23.2
\nmillion. So far, however, only one project worth $10.06 million
\nhas started operations.<\/p>\n
The prime minister, accompanied by his wife Joan, and a
\ndelegation of 25 people including top officials of his
\ngovernment, arrived in Yogyakarta on Sunday. They are scheduled
\nto visit President Soeharto's Tri S Tapos ranch and the Bogor
\nPalace today before ending their visit. (pwn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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