G-15 summit to look at the year 2000 and beyond<\/p>\n
By Meidyatama Soeryodiningrat<\/p>\n
BUENOS AIRES (JP): Leaders of the Group of 15 (G-15)
\ndeveloping countries will gather here on Monday for the start of
\ntheir fifth summit, to hammer out a declaration on international
\neconomic cooperation for the year 2000 and beyond.<\/p>\n
Argentine officials said that at least 10 of the 15 members
\nwill be represented by their leaders, an improvement over the
\nlast summit in New Delhi, in which only six leaders attended.<\/p>\n
But this time President Soeharto will be one of the absentees.
\nThe 73-year old Indonesian leader, considered to be one of the
\nmost senior statesmen in the group, has attended all previous
\nfour G-15 summits.<\/p>\n
Indonesian embassy officials said the Indonesian delegation
\nwill be led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Alatas. He
\nwill be accompanied by President Soeharto's personal
\nrepresentative to the G-15, Agus Tarmidzi, who is Indonesia's
\nambassador to the permanent mission of the United Nations in
\nGeneva.<\/p>\n
Officials in Jakarta said that a tight schedule has prevented
\nSoeharto from attending the summit here. He has just completed an
\n18-day overseas trip, which included the Non-Aligned Movement
\nsummit in Cartagena, Colombia, the United Nations' 50th
\nanniversary commemorative assembly, short working visits to
\nWashington and Suriname, plus a minor pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi
\nArabia. He also made a brief stopover in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n
Later this month, the President is scheduled to attend the
\nleadership meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) forum in Osaka, Japan.<\/p>\n
Indonesian and Argentine officials said that, as a forum for
\nconsultation between countries of the southern hemisphere, the G-
\n15 leaders, or their representatives, are expected to highlight
\nthe plight of the developing world, especially the global climate
\nwhich has hindered, rather than induced, development.<\/p>\n
The group will put together a declaration of their views to
\nfoster international economic cooperation, both North-South and
\nSouth-South, for the next century.<\/p>\n
It will also review the 18 projects of cooperation that exist
\nbetween G-15 members.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is coordinator of four of these projects, which
\ncover the food sector, population and family planning, external
\ndebt and the promotion of self-propelling growth schemes.<\/p>\n
Proposals such as the creation of an investment, trade and
\ntechnology council, which was put forward by India at last year's
\nsummit, are also likely to materialize here next week.<\/p>\n
In addition, delegates have indicated that leaders will
\ndiscuss terrorism and corruption, as proposed by India and
\nVenezuela respectively.<\/p>\n
The G-15 was established in 1989, during the 9th Non-Aligned
\nMovement (NAM) Summit in Belgrade, as the Summit Level Group on
\nSouth-South Cooperation and Consultation.<\/p>\n
Its members represent the various regions of the developing
\nworld: Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe for Africa;
\nIndia, Indonesia and Malaysia for Asia; Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
\nJamaica, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela for Latin America; and the
\nCaribbean. Yugoslavia, one of the founding members, has been
\nreplaced by Chile.<\/p>\n
Idea<\/p>\n
The idea was to create a consultative forum for leaders to
\nreview and analyze the international situation, forge better
\ncooperation and try to create a dialog with the Group of Seven
\n(G-7) industrialized countries.<\/p>\n
The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur in 1990 and
\nsubsequent meetings have been hosted in Caracas, Dakar and New
\nDelhi.<\/p>\n
At this summit, observers say, the G-15 must grapple with
\ninternal matters such as new membership and maintaining high
\nattendance levels at future meetings.<\/p>\n
Argentine officials have suggested expanding the membership,
\nbut exactly who should be brought in is still a point of debate.<\/p>\n
In the past, Iran has indicated a desire to join and there are
\neven hopes that China will become a member.<\/p>\n
Although the summit focus is on the global political and
\neconomic situation, the G-15 will also discuss how to forge
\ncloser economic ties among its members.<\/p>\n
Trade between developing countries is seen as a way of
\nsolidifying and enhancing overall south-south cooperation.<\/p>\n
Argentina's Undersecretary for International Economic
\nNegotiations, Alfredo Chiaradia, has stressed the importance of a
\nbusiness exhibition that is to be held alongside the G-15 Summit,
\nas well as offshoot meetings.<\/p>\n
He told journalists that Argentina hopes the G-15 will develop
\ninto a group of \"new tigers\" in a changing world economy.<\/p>\n
Over 300 entrepreneurs from G-15 member states are expected to
\nattend the business exhibition and seminar, which will be held at
\nthe Palais de Glaces building, just two blocks from the site of
\nthe summit.<\/p>\n
The absence of President Soeharto appears to have stifled the
\ninterest of the Indonesian business community. Only three
\nIndonesians have registered to attend the business forum, embassy
\nofficials said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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