RI, Uzbekistan committed to fostering closer economic ties<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Uzbekistan are taking concrete
\nsteps to foster closer economic ties by cooperating in the
\nestablishment of cotton yarning, palm oil and tea packaging
\nventures.<\/p>\n
Following a meeting between Indonesia's President Soeharto and
\nUzbeki president Islam A. Karimov, the two agreed to explore the
\npossibility of establishing of a yarn factory in Uzbekistan whose
\nproducts would be exported to Indonesia, finished, and then re-
\nexported back to Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the Uzbeki capital Tashkent, the two leaders also
\nagreed to help promote the establishment of a palm oil and a tea
\npackaging factory, the raw materials for which would be provided
\nby Indonesia.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto arrived in Uzbekistan on Saturday as part
\nof a four-nation tour which includes Germany, Kazakhstan and
\nTurkmenistan. He is scheduled to leave for Turkmenistan, the last
\nleg of his tour, later today.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said in
\nTashkent on Saturday that Soeharto and Karimov had also signed a
\ndeclaration on the boosting of friendship and cooperation.<\/p>\n
A series of memoranda on tourism and air travel were signed at
\nthe ministerial level.<\/p>\n
Uzbekistan broke away from the former Soviet Union and gained
\nindependence in 1991. It has a population of some 22 million
\npeople, the majority of whom are Moslems.<\/p>\n
It is a country rich in natural resources and is one of the
\nworld's eight biggest producers of gold.<\/p>\n
Alatas and Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said that to
\npromote economic cooperation both governments would set up a
\ncoordinating team. They said the Indonesian team would be headed
\nby Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto.<\/p>\n
According to the two ministers, other issues discussed during
\nthe state visit included foreign currency problems in paying
\naccounts.<\/p>\n
Indonesian trade with Uzbekistan was pioneered five-years ago
\nby PT Prima Comexindo. The company has overcome the difficulties
\nof account payments by forging counter-trade agreements, under
\nwhich Indonesian tea is exported in return for Uzbeki cotton.<\/p>\n
President Karimov admitted that there were several barriers to
\nclose cooperation, such as the long distance between the two
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Officials would, however, be assigned to work on the
\ndifficulties.<\/p>\n
In his address at a dinner reception on Saturday evening,
\nPresident Soeharto said that, despite the great distance
\nseparating the two countries, Uzbekistan was not alien to the
\nIndonesian people.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the famous Islamic figures from Uzbekistan,
\nImam Bukhori and Ismail Saman, with whom Indonesians are
\nfamiliar.<\/p>\n
Yesterday President Soeharto flew to the city of Samarkand,
\nsouth of Tashkent, which is the site of Imam Bukhori's grave. It
\nwas Soeharto's second visit to the tomb of Imam Bukhori, the
\nfamous compiler of hadith, or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.
\nHis first visit was in 1989.<\/p>\n
Karimov praised Soeharto's leadership of the 111-nation Non-
\nAligned Movement. He said that as a result of Soeharto's
\nleadership the group now commanded greater international respect.
\n(mds)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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