Habibie to meet Estrada in Batam<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has dropped his planned
\nworking visit to Malaysia this month and will instead meet with
\nPhilippine President Joseph Estrada next week in Batam, Riau.<\/p>\n
The change in plan has been because the President is currently
\nunable to leave the country, a minister hinted on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said the President
\ncould not go to Malaysia because Indonesia currently has no vice
\npresident, not because of her near neighbor's domestic situation.<\/p>\n
\"The visit to Batam is a domestic visit and will only last one
\nday, just like a trip to Surabaya and Medan. A trip to Kuala
\nLumpur would be an official visit,\" Alatas said with a smile
\nafter joining Habibie for a meeting with British State Minister
\nof Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs John Fatchett at the Merdeka
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
When a journalist asked why Alatas had smiled, he replied: \"I
\nknow you just want to provoke me because you know the (real)
\nanswer\".<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung announced last week
\nthat Habibie had decided to drop his planned visit to Malaysia
\ndue to his tight schedule at home.<\/p>\n
In an interview last week with The Nation, a Thai daily
\nnewspaper, Habibie said he was saddened by the arrest and beating
\nof his friend Anwar Ibrahim, the sacked Malaysian minister of
\nfinance.<\/p>\n
Habibie indicated that he might also be absent from the Asia
\nPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Kuala Lumpur next
\nmonth. Estrada has expressed similar feelings.<\/p>\n
Alatas said that Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
\nwould not attend the meeting, despite Batam's proximity to the
\nisland state.<\/p>\n
Estrada will go on from Batam to Singapore to address the
\nWorld Economic Forum. AP previously reported that the meeting
\nbetween Habibie and Estrada would take place in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"It will be the first opportunity for the two presidents to
\nhave a discussion,\" Alatas remarked.<\/p>\n
Habibie had earlier complained over Singapore's cool response
\nto his appointment to the presidency, citing a late
\ncongratulatory note from the island's leadership as the reason
\nfor his ire.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Fatchett said he has offered practical assistance
\nto help Indonesia hold a free and fair election next year.<\/p>\n
\"I discussed today both with President Habibie and separately
\nwith the Independent Election Monitoring Committee what concrete
\nhelp we might be able to provide,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said Britain had an extensive experience in helping to
\norganize free and fair elections in other countries.<\/p>\n
The practical assistance, he said, would include monitoring of
\nelection registration and voting, and training people involved in
\nthe election process in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In relation to the practical assistance, he said a human
\nrights workshop would be held in Jakarta on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29
\nwhich would bring together participants from all European Union
\ncountries and a wide range of Indonesian officials and
\ninstitutions. (prb\/bnt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/habibie-to-meet-estrada-in-batam-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}