India, China, two reasons for economic integration: Susilo<\/p>\n
Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, The Jakarta Post, Vientiane<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in the Laotian capital
\non Sunday with a strong message about Indonesia's commitment to
\nfree trade, open investment and a pledge to increase the
\nefficiency of economic transactions.<\/p>\n
Susilo, who is set to attend his inaugural ASEAN Leaders
\nSummit on Monday, stressed the importance of greater economic
\nintegration and consistent efforts to boost the economic
\nattractiveness of the region. Following this path, the 10 ASEAN
\nmember states would end up wielding greater international
\ndiplomatic power, he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking before some 300 executives at the ASEAN Business and
\nInvestment Summit, the President's remarks showed he was well-
\naware of the repeated complaints by many businesspeople about
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Governments, and I am speaking for my own country as well,
\nneed to increase the efficiency of all economic transactions in
\nthe region,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"A country where property rights are absent, trade policies
\nare highly restrictive and corruption is rampant, is unlikely to
\nenjoy rapid economic growth.\"<\/p>\n
He cited two simple reasons for the need for greater economic
\nintegration: India and China. Calling China \"a magnet for foreign
\ninvestors\" and \"unbeatable as a manufacturing outlet,\" Susilo
\nsaid he remained confident Southeast Asia could still stake a
\nclaim in the shrinking investment pie.<\/p>\n
\"Businesses seek to reduce risk, and investing too much in one
\nlocation increases those risks. We have to take advantage of
\ntheir strategy of diversification,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite being new on the job, Susilo showed no signs of
\nawkwardness in his first ASEAN meeting as president. Warmly
\ngreeting people, often with a two-handed handshake, he played his
\npart with little hesitation.<\/p>\n
In the evening he had a whirlwind of bilateral meetings with
\nleaders from China, Cambodia, India, Laos and Thailand, before
\nheading for an informal dinner hosted by Laotian Prime Minister
\nBounnhang Vorachith.<\/p>\n
Heading a delegation, which includes Coordinating Minister for
\nthe Economy Aburizal Bakrie, Coordinating Minister for Political,
\nlegal and Security Affairs Widodo AS, Foreign Minister Hassan
\nWirayuda, Minister of Trade Mari Pangestu and State Secretary
\nYusril Ihza Mahendra, the president is one of 16 leaders -- one
\nking, three presidents and 12 prime ministers -- to attend what
\nwill be the biggest Asian gathering of the year.<\/p>\n
Not only will the leaders of all the ASEAN member states be
\nattendance, but summit meetings will also be held with leaders
\nfrom China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
The Laotian government has pulled all the stops to make the
\nsummit an event to remember, seemingly at the expense of the
\nordinary Laotian citizen.<\/p>\n
A quaint and small city of about 600,000 under normal
\ncircumstances, Vientiane streets were cleared of all
\n\"unnecessary\" traffic. Taxis and other public transport such as
\nThai-modeled tuk-tuk were barred from streets. Roads had been
\nbeautified and residents were encouraged to abstain from any
\nunnecessary traveling during the proceedings.<\/p>\n
Laotian women seemed to heed the encouragement of local
\nofficials to only go out in their traditional sarongs, sinh, and
\na virtual curfew began 10 p.m., resulting in a quiet, atmosphere-
\nless city.<\/p>\n
The security, which some might call excessive sterilization,
\nwas aimed at neutralizing the potential threats from armed
\nguerrillas known to be active in remote regions in the country.<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 6
\nMore stories on Pages 3, 11<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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