RI, Pakistan to unity against terrorism, drugs<\/p>\n
Bronwyn Curran, Agecence France-Presse, slamabad<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri heads to Pakistan
\nthis weekend for a visit which will see the world's two largest
\nMuslim nations, both battling Islamic extremism, forge pacts to
\nfight terrorism and drug-trafficking and to foster industrial
\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
Megawati arrives on Sunday for the first visit by an
\nIndonesian leader to the 56-year old Islamic republic in three
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Her predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid visited in June 2000, three
\nmonths after Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf visited
\nIndonesia fresh from seizing power in the October 1999 coup.<\/p>\n
She will hold talks with Gen. Musharraf on arrival and later
\nmeet Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, officials said.<\/p>\n
\"Consultations are under way for MOUs (memorandums of
\nunderstanding) on counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics,\"
\nforeign ministry spokesman Masood Khan told AFP.<\/p>\n
A joint ministerial commission on bilateral relations is also
\nlikely to be signed, Khan said.<\/p>\n
The agenda of talks was \"free-flowing\" covering bilateral
\nrelations, Pakistan's ties with the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN), and regional and international issues.<\/p>\n
\"These include the situation in South Asia, Afghanistan and
\nIraq. They will discuss and review the situation in Iraq,\" Khan
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Pakistan, which like Indonesia opposed the war in Iraq, is
\nunder pressure from the U.S. to contribute troops to a Muslim
\npeacekeeping force in Iraq.<\/p>\n
High on Islamabad's agenda is convincing Indonesia to help
\nraise its profile in ASEAN.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is a very active member of ASEAN. Pakistan is a
\nsectoral dialog partner of ASEAN, we want this relationship to be
\nupgraded to full dialog partnership,\" Khan said.<\/p>\n
Embarking on joint industrial projects was also a key
\npriority.<\/p>\n
\"The driving force between Indonesia and Pakistan is economic.
\nWe're trying to expand economic and commercial relations. We are
\nalso exploring the possibility of some joint industrial
\nventures,\" Khan said.<\/p>\n
\"We've had industrial cooperation in the past. Those efforts
\nneed to be upgraded, we want to take this relationship to a
\nhigher plane.\"<\/p>\n
On Megawati's schedule is a visit to an industrial site in
\nTaxila, an ancient town surrounded by light industry 20
\nkilometers (12.4 miles) west of Islamabad.<\/p>\n
Pakistan and Indonesia, both former European colonies,
\nrepresent some 340 million Muslims between them from a combined
\npopulation of 370 million.<\/p>\n
Analysts said Megawati's visit was significant in several
\ndimensions: in terms of Musharraf's campaign for moderate Islam,
\nMegawati's bid to retain the presidency in 2004 polls, and the
\nfight against terrorism.<\/p>\n
\"One important thing is the fact that the two governments are
\ncollaborating over the issue of terrorism,\" political commentator
\nNasim Zehra said.<\/p>\n
Pakistan held in custody for three months six Indonesian
\nterror suspects linked to the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) al-Qaeda-
\nlinked terrorist network, only deporting them three days ahead of
\nMegawati's arrival.<\/p>\n
Described by Pakistani investigators as a \"JI sleeper cell,\"
\nthe six were arrested from an Islamic school in Karachi. Top JI
\nterror suspect Hambali's brother Rusman Gunawan (also known as
\nGun Gun) was among them.<\/p>\n
Zehra also pointed to Musharraf's campaign to reform the OIC.<\/p>\n
\"President Musharraf has taken the initiative in the
\nOrganization of Islamic Conference (OIC) talking about reform of
\nthe organization, and Megawati represents a major Muslim country
\nand she has very actively supported Musharraf's call for reform
\nwithin the OIC.\"<\/p>\n
Megawati's visit to Pakistan could also be connected to
\nefforts to win support from Islamic quarters at home in next
\nyear's elections, Zehra said.<\/p>\n
\"In some ways I guess this is establishing her stature in the
\nMuslim world within her Muslim constituency.\"<\/p>\n
Megawati and Musharraf have met twice this year, on the
\nsidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement and OIC summits in Kuala
\nLumpur.<\/p>\n
\"The two enjoy a close rapport,\" Zehra said.<\/p>\n
Megawati can expect a warm welcome in Pakistan, where her late
\nfather, Indonesia's founding president Sukarno, is warmly
\nremembered.<\/p>\n
\"Mrs. Soekarnoputri is respected here partially because of her
\nfather, who in the late 1950s and 1960s supported Pakistan on all
\nissues, so he's a revered figure here,\" Khan said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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