Indonesia backs Indian Ocean forum<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will take an active role in the Indian
\nOcean Rim Initiative forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali
\nAlatas said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto has conveyed Indonesia's commitment to
\nmake it a success and hopes that the country can contribute its
\nconstructive ideas to the forum,\" Alatas said at Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Alatas was accompanying Louis Steven Abeegadoo, a special
\nenvoy of Mauritius Prime Minister Ram Gulam scheduled to meet
\nPresident Soeharto. Abeegadoo was here to seek Indonesia's
\nsupport for the forum.<\/p>\n
Abeegadoo said the initiative is to sound out economic
\ncooperation among countries in the Indian Ocean rim.<\/p>\n
\"The new reality of an international economy calls for a new
\nform of regionalism, in which countries with different
\nbackgrounds can unify themselves to complement each other,\"
\nAbeegadoo said.<\/p>\n
He explained that the forum, initiated by seven countries --
\nAustralia, Guinea, India, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore and South
\nAfrica -- plans to hold a ministerial meeting of 14 countries in
\nthe region.<\/p>\n
The other seven countries expected to join the new grouping
\nare Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka,
\nTanzania and Yemen.<\/p>\n
\"In the near future, working group meetings will start in
\nMauritius to prepare for the ministerial meeting, which is
\nexpected to be held by the end of this year,\" Abeegadoo said.<\/p>\n
Alatas recounted that the forum will likely lead to a regional
\neconomic grouping like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) forum, which is determined to liberalize trade and
\ninvestment in the region by the year 2020.<\/p>\n
\"This forum is a combination of APEC and the Pacific Economic
\nCooperation Council because it intends to include governments,
\nthe private sector and academicians,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that countries in the Indian Ocean rim vary
\nwidely in terms of their political and economic systems as well
\nas their economic growth levels. Therefore, he said, the Indian
\nOcean forum is right for starting with seven countries and
\nexpanding to 14 countries later.<\/p>\n
\"It needs to be examined if we need to expand the forum or
\nnot,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He explained that Soeharto and Abeegadoo -- Mauritius'
\nminister of marine and fishery -- discussed bilateral issues,
\nparticularly the fishery and marine resources sectors.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Abeegadoo also met with Indonesian Minister of
\nAgriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah to discuss possible bilateral
\ncooperation in fishery and marine resources. (rid)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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