Castro pays surprise visit to Gus Dur<\/p>\n
HAVANA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid left Cuba for Tokyo
\non Friday, a few hours after his host counterpart Fidel Castro
\nsprang a surprise with an unscheduled visit.<\/p>\n
Castro paid a courtesy call on Abdurrahman, better known as
\nGus Dur, at the Indonesian leader's room at the Melia Hotel here.<\/p>\n
\"I was having a good time listening to a wayang narration from
\na cassette when Castro suddenly turned up on my door step,\"
\nAbdurrahman told reporters afterward. Wayang is a Javanese shadow
\npuppet show.<\/p>\n
A meeting between the two presidents had earlier been arranged
\nto take place after Abdurrahman's arrival on the eve of the
\nsummit opening on Tuesday. It was canceled, but no official
\nexplanation was available.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's close confidant, foreign minister Alwi Shihab,
\nwho is accompanying the President, was barefoot during the 40-
\nminute informal meeting on Friday. Abdurrahman himself forgot to
\nwear his Muslim cap, the peci.<\/p>\n
Castro's laughter was heard several times during the casual
\nconversation with Abdurrahman, who is well-known for his jokes.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said Castro took some time-out while he was
\npresiding over the Group-77 Summit which was officially closed
\nlater in the day.<\/p>\n
\"He knew I was about to leave, so Castro spared his time to
\nvisit me,\" Abdurrahman said.<\/p>\n
Underscoring the significance of the informal meeting, Alwi
\nsaid Castro had an opportunity to receive five head of states and
\ngovernments during the two-day summit and paid a courtesy call
\nonly to his Indonesian counterpart.<\/p>\n
There were 47 heads of state and governments attending the
\nsummit.<\/p>\n
During the impromptu meeting with Castro, Abdurrahman
\nsuggested that one of the summit attendants promote the results
\nof the international event to the Northern countries. Castro
\nagreed but said he was not the right person to do job.<\/p>\n
\"I proposed Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad and
\nCastro approved,\" Abdurrahman said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman likened Mahathir to the captain of a vessel of
\nSouthern hemisphere countries. Castro accepted Abdurrahman's
\nchoice saying that the developing countries were in need of \"a
\nleader who can swim\".<\/p>\n
On the occasion, Abdurrahman extended an invitation to Castro
\nto visit Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he anticipated anger from the United States due
\nto his trip to Cuba, Abdurrahman said he would make the
\nsuperpower understand.<\/p>\n
\"If we wish to influence a person, it is better to make him or
\nher understand our position,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that he and U.S. President Bill Clinton had
\ndifferent views on certain things, but said they did not matter.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman and his entourage took off from Havana's Jose
\nMarti airport aboard a Garuda Airbus 330 late on Friday, heading
\nfor Japan. After a stop-over in Vancouver for refueling,
\nAbdurrahman is expected to arrive in Tokyo on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
A member of staff at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington
\nD.C., Mahendra Siregar, denied rumors that the government chose
\nVancouver for the refueling stop after President Abdurrahman was
\ndenied entry into the United States because of his visit to Cuba.<\/p>\n
Mahendra told Antara that Vancouver had been chosen before the
\nPresident embarked on his nine-day overseas trip.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian Embassy never asked the U.S. to allow the
\npresidential airplane to refuel in a city here. We just asked for
\nan overfly permit, and it was approved,\" he said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The President has arranged a brief visit to Japan to visit the
\nailing former prime minister Keizo Obuchi and his successor
\nYoshiro Mori.<\/p>\n
He will head for Hong Kong later on Sunday, when he is
\nscheduled to address a seminar on Indonesia. After an overnight
\nstay in the commercial territory, Abdurrahman will fly back home.
\n(byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/castro-pays-surprise-visit-to-gus-dur-1447893297",
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