OIC to highlight RI diplomacy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, the world's largest Moslem country,
\nwill assume the chairmanship of the Organization of Islamic
\nConference (OIC) this year, maintaining its active participation
\nin international diplomacy pursued in recent years.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas in his traditional
\nmedia briefing at the start of each year yesterday said the OIC
\nchair and the conference's ministerial meeting which Indonesia
\nwill host in later in the year, are some of the highlights of
\nIndonesia's diplomatic activities this year.<\/p>\n
Alatas said Indonesia's proposal to host the 24th OIC
\nministerial meeting at the last meeting in Conakry, Guinea, last
\nDecember, was accepted by acclamation.<\/p>\n
The chairing of OIC's Ministerial Meeting marks another
\nmilestone in Indonesian foreign policy after previously presiding
\nover the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 1994
\nand the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1992-1995.<\/p>\n
\"The acceptance of Indonesia as the host of the 24th
\nMinisterial Meeting is an acknowledgment of Indonesia's positive
\nrole in international politics,\" said Alatas in his written
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
The OIC was formed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in May 1971. Its
\n52-nation membership is made up of countries who are an Islamic
\nstate or, like Indonesia, whose population is made up of a
\nmajority of Moslems. It is comprised of mostly Middle East and
\nAfrican states. Indonesia, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
\nBrunei, Malaysia and Pakistan make up the Asian members.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has attached great importance to the OIC which along
\nwith NAM strives for the betterment of developing countries.<\/p>\n
Among Indonesia's contributions within the OIC was chairing
\nthe OIC Ministerial Committee of Six to facilitate a peaceful
\nsolution to the separatist Moro Moslem minority in the southern
\nPhilippines.<\/p>\n
Important events<\/p>\n
Though not as busy as 1995, which Alatas called \"the year most
\nfilled with international conferences and meetings\", he said 1996
\nwill also see its share of important events.<\/p>\n
Among the international events Indonesia is scheduled to
\nparticipate in is the Asian-European Summit in Bangkok in March.<\/p>\n
In April Indonesia will participate in the Ninth United
\nNations Conference on Trade and Development in Midrant, South
\nAfrica. The theme of the conference will be \"Promoting Growth and
\nSustainable Development in a Globalizing and Liberalizing World
\nEconomy.\"<\/p>\n
In July, Indonesia will host the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting which will be followed
\nby a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum and a series of post-
\nministerial conferences with the group's major trading partners.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto is expected to attend three summit meetings
\nthis year. One is the Asian-European summit in Bangkok in March
\nand the other both in November: the World Food Summit in Rome and
\nthe APEC leaders meeting in Subic Bay, the Philippines.<\/p>\n
In December, Soeharto will host an informal meeting of ASEAN
\nheads of state.<\/p>\n
According to Alatas apart from the seven members of ASEAN --
\nBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
\nand Vietnam -- Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will attend. He added
\nthat ASEAN is also contemplating inviting East Asian countries
\nsuch as China to the informal summit.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the events of the past year, Alatas noted that
\ndespite encouraging progress, some very worrying developments
\ntranspired at the United Nations in 1995.<\/p>\n
These included what he perceived as a slowing down of the
\nrevitalization and restructuring of the world body, along with
\nthe increasing use of force by the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n
\"There is a tendency for the big countries to use their
\ninfluence in the Security Council to force their intentions
\nthrough,\" Alatas said, pointing to the imposing of economic
\nsanctions on a number of states.<\/p>\n
Indonesia with fellow members of NAM were coordinating efforts
\nto ensure a more transparent and accountable UN, along with the
\nabstention of the veto use in the Security Council, he said.<\/p>\n
Other discouraging events included France's complete
\nnonchalance in the face of international protests against
\ncontinued nuclear testing in the South Pacific. (mds)<\/p>",
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