Welcome H.E. Vajpayee<\/p>\n
Friendly relations between Indonesia and India have long been
\nestablished, since the countries were still struggling for
\nindependence from their colonial masters more than half a century
\nago. But friendship and cultural ties between the two peoples
\nexisted long before the birth of these two Asian nations.<\/p>\n
The moral values from the great Indian epics such as the
\nRamayana and Mahabharata have been instinctively adopted by
\nmillions of Indonesians, especially those who live in Java and
\nBali, as is reflected in the Javanese shadow plays or wayang
\nperformances and Balinese traditional dances whose characters are
\nderived from those Indian epics.<\/p>\n
Hence, it is right to say that the four-day visit of Indian
\nPrime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Indonesia, which began on
\nWednesday, will do more than just strengthen relations, as
\nfriendly ties between the two nations have never slackened.<\/p>\n
During the 32-year rule of former president Soeharto,
\nbilateral relations remained cordial as demonstrated by visits of
\nthree Indian prime ministers to Jakarta. And the visit by
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid to New Delhi last year has emphasized
\nthe warm friendship of the two peoples and nations.<\/p>\n
Vajpayee's visit, we believe, should be seen as a brief
\nsojourn to a family member's home at a time when the family
\nmember is overwhelmed with a myriad of political and economic
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
It is anticipated that Vajpayee's visit will elevate relations
\nbetween our two countries to levels similar to the excellent
\nlevels of cooperation and support forged by the two founding
\nfathers -- Jawaharlal Nehru and Sukarno. For this, the prime
\nminister deserves a warm welcome.<\/p>\n
His visit cannot be more timely now that Indonesia, a nation
\nin transition towards a democratic government after decades of
\nauthoritarian rule, is grappling with its economic development
\nand fledgling democracy ... areas in which India has had
\nremarkable success.<\/p>\n
Bilateral trade -- which last year stood at only US$1.4
\nbillion, a relatively meager amount for large countries like
\nIndia and Indonesia whose combined populations exceeds more than
\n1.2 billion people -- can surely be improved considering the
\ncomplementary nature of our commodities.<\/p>\n
Clearly, there is considerable need in Indonesia for transfer
\nof sophisticated information technology where India excels in
\nboth software development and component manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Likewise, India's advanced military technology, as proven by
\nsuccessful tests of its medium-range Agni missiles in 1999 and
\nlast week's tests of its multi-role combat aircraft, could help
\nIndonesia's needs for defensive equipment which traditional
\nsuppliers have curtailed due to political reason.<\/p>\n
Touching on military cooperation, Indonesia, which lies
\nbetween the Pacific and Indian Oceans, has a strategic role to
\nplay in maintaining regional stability and comprehensive
\ndiscussions and close cooperation between Jakarta and New Delhi
\nwould benefit both governments. Indonesia's good defensive
\ncapabilities will certainly help ensure security in SE Asia,
\nwhile India's is good for the stability in South Asia.<\/p>\n
Cooperation between Jakarta and New Delhi, we believe, is even
\nmore important now that the new U.S. administration has yet to
\nformulate its foreign policy on South and Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
In the final analysis, it is expected that the Indonesian
\ngovernment would explore a wide range of possible comprehensive
\ncooperation with the Indian leader, ultimately beneficial to both
\ncountries.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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