Susilo meets world leaders at State Palace<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accepted courtesy calls on
\nThursday from a number of foreign leaders to talk about efforts
\nto enhance relations ahead of the Asian-African Summit.<\/p>\n
First on Susilo's guest list was Pakistan President Pervez
\nMusharraf, who came to the State Palace in the morning. Gen.
\nMusharraf expressed a wish to collaborate with Indonesia in the
\ndefense industry and trade fields.<\/p>\n
Susilo's international affairs spokesman, Dino Pati Djalal,
\nsaid that the two leaders had agreed to increase defense
\ncooperation and encourage enhanced trade relations between the
\nprivate sectors of the two countries.<\/p>\n
"Talks about cooperation in the defense industry took up most
\nof the time. Pakistan has developed independent military
\ntechnology that could be of interest to Indonesia," said Dino at
\nthe State Palace.<\/p>\n
Pakistan, a Muslim country with nuclear weapons, has been
\ntrying to increase its defense capabilities by inking cooperation
\nagreements with various countries, including China, while
\nIndonesia has been trying to modernize its military capabilities,
\nwhich have been badly hit by a prolonged military equipment
\nembargo imposed by the United States<\/p>\n
Dino said that the two leaders had also discussed efforts to
\npromote the values of modern Islam to the rest of the world, and
\nhad touched upon the problems faced by the members of the
\nOrganization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).<\/p>\n
In the security and political fields, the two leaders were
\ninvolved in a discussion about recent security problems and
\ndevelopments in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as attempts to
\ncombat terrorism<\/p>\n
"President Musharraf conveyed his desire to engage actively in
\npolitical developments in East and Southeast Asia," said Dino.<\/p>\n
In the economic sector, Indonesia -- the world's largest
\nMuslim majority nation -- and Pakistan, expressed an interest in
\nestablishing a business forum aimed at boosting cooperation
\nbetween the private sectors of the two countries.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, Susilo received Kim Yong-nam, the chairman
\nof the presidium of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly.<\/p>\n
According to Dino, although the two leaders discussed the
\nAsian-African Conference, President Susilo implicitly conveyed
\nhis support for a peace settlement between North Korea and its
\nneighbor South Korea.<\/p>\n
"President Susilo hoped that the tension on the Korean
\nPeninsula could be eased through dialog, and said that Indonesia
\nwould help both sides in any way that it could to help promote
\npeace," said Dino.<\/p>\n
Dino denied speculation that the meeting also discussed North
\nKorea's controversial nuclear ambitions, or the involvement of
\nthe United States in resolving problems in the region.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, later in the day, President Susilo also accepted
\ncourtesy calls at the State Palace from Zimbabwean President
\nRobert G. Mugabe and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.<\/p>\n
In the evening, Susilo received Thai Prime Minister Thaksin
\nSinawatra.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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