S. Korea set to continue Timor national car project<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Visiting South Korean Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs and Trade Hong Soon-young met on Wednesday with President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid and other senior government officials and won
\napproval from them to continue the Timor national car project.<\/p>\n
"Both Indonesia and South Korea feel the necessity to continue
\nthe project as long as it does not contravene WTO (World Trade
\nOrganization) rules," Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab
\nsaid after accompanying the President in receiving Hong at the
\nBina Graha presidential office.<\/p>\n
Hong, who arrived here on Tuesday night for a three-day visit,
\nalso met with Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri and held
\nbilateral talks with Alwi.<\/p>\n
Alwi said the government warmly welcomed the proposal as
\nIndonesia is in urgent need of large-scale foreign investment,
\nincluding from South Korea.<\/p>\n
South Korea's KIA Motors entered the Indonesian market in 1995
\nin a joint venture with PT Timor Putra Nasional, which was co-
\nowned by former president Soeharto's son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala
\nPutra.<\/p>\n
The multimillion dollar national car project sparked strong
\ncriticism and protest both at home and abroad, as it received
\nunfair facilities, including tax exemptions, from the government.<\/p>\n
The project, overloaded by massive debts, practically
\ncollapsed with the fall of Soeharto in May last year.<\/p>\n
KIA reentered the market again early this month with a new
\nlocal partner, PT KIA Mobil Indonesia, whose chief commissioner
\nis former minister of transmigration Lt. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono.<\/p>\n
During Wednesday's meeting it was also revealed President
\nAbdurrahman would make another extended foreign trip.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman is due to go to Seoul as part of a 12-day overseas
\ntour at the end of January, which for now includes nine countries
\namong them England, Belgium, France, the Netherlands,
\nSwitzerland, India and Pakistan.<\/p>\n
"The overseas trip is expected to encourage more investment in
\nIndonesia as part of our economic recovery process," said Alwi.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has been widely criticized for making too many
\nforeign trips abroad amid unresolved issues at home.<\/p>\n
Since he was sworn in as president on Oct. 20, Abdurrahman has
\nvisited 15 countries, including China, Japan, and the United
\nStates. (04\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/s-korea-set-to-continue-timor-national-car-project-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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