President calls for common oil strategy<\/p>\n
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Agencies): Indonesian President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid on Sunday, called for a common petroleum
\nstrategy among Southeast Asia's predominantly Muslim nations.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, stressing he had fully recovered from the flu
\nwhich had cast doubts over his Brunei visit, said a joint
\nstrategy among petroleum-rich countries Brunei, Indonesia and
\nMalaysia would go a long way in the costly area of exploiting
\nresources and technology.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe, we could work out a common strategy globally and
\ninternally among the three Islamic countries of Brunei, Malaysia
\nand Indonesia,\" Abdurrahman told a news conference at Brunei's
\ncapital Bandar Seri Begawan before returning home after a one-day
\nworking visit.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian President said he raised his suggestion for the
\njoint petroleum initiative during talks with Brunei's Sultan
\nHassanal Bolkiah.<\/p>\n
The sultan's response was not immediately known.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said Brunei Shell -- a local joint venture with
\nAnglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch\/Shell -- and the state-run
\nBrunei Petroleum Unit as well as the national petroleum
\ncorporations of Malaysia and Indonesia, Petronas and Pertamina,
\n\"could get together and work something out\" in terms of a joint
\nstrategy.<\/p>\n
The tiny Brunei sultanate lies on the huge Borneo island,
\nwhich is also shared by Malaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who arrived early Sunday for a visit to enhance
\nbilateral ties, also raised the possibility of Indonesia
\nenrolling students at the University of Brunei's petroleum
\nfaculty.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesian students need not go to the West to be
\ntrained in petroleum technology when such expertise was available
\nin nearby Brunei, which also had the backing of oil experts from,
\namong other countries, Britain and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The tired-looking Indonesian leader, 59, was greeted on
\narrival at the Brunei international airport by Foreign Minister
\nPrince Mohamed Bolkiah.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, who
\naccompanied Abdurrahman, and his Brunei counterpart Mohamad
\nBolkiah, signed an agreement on the prevention of double taxation
\nbetween the countries.<\/p>\n
It is his first visit to Brunei since becoming Indonesia's
\nfirst democratically elected leader last year. He had skipped
\nBrunei during his tour of Southeast Asia immediately after
\nassuming office.<\/p>\n
The President's doctors on Thursday said Wahid, who cannot
\nwalk without assistance following two strokes several years ago,
\nwas suffering from influenza and advised rest for a few days,
\nputting his trip in doubt.<\/p>\n
But the President insisted on making the trip to the oil-rich
\nstate on Sunday and East Timor on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He told reporters in Brunei that he had fully recovered from
\nthe flu after he followed doctors' orders to rest for two days.<\/p>\n
\"This seems to have worked. I'm on the road again,\" said
\nAbdurrahman, who has travelled extensively since he became
\nPresident in October.<\/p>\n
Apart from neighboring Southeast Asian nations, the Indonesian
\nleader has made trips to the Middle East, Europe, the United
\nStates, China and India.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who also met the Indonesian community in Brunei,
\narrived back at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airport on Sunday
\nafternoon.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-calls-for-common-oil-strategy-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}