Albright to visit Indonesia soon

Albright to visit Indonesia soon

WASHINGTON (Reuters): U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will visit Indonesia later this month for the first time since the downfall of president Soeharto, a U.S. ally for several decades, the State Department said on Monday.

Albright, who will be in Asia this month for the annual Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, will also visit Thailand for bilateral meetings with Thai leaders, it said.

Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have been hard hit by the Asian financial crisis that began with the collapse of the Thai baht in July 1997.

The crisis spread to Indonesia, where rioting and mass protests forced Soeharto to resign on May 21 this year. He was replaced by Vice President B.J. Habibie, but popular unrest and economic distress have continued.

In recent speeches, Albright has advocated that Asian governments follow policies of free trade, market economics, democratization and respect for human rights.

Speaking in Washington state last Friday, she warned Asian nations against turning to the "false gods of protectionism" in the search for economic revival.

She also pressed international financial institutions to help the countries do more to cope with the social hardships created by the financial meltdown.

The State Department said the visits to Thailand and Indonesia would follow the APEC ministerial meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 14 and 15. Details of the schedule and itinerary were still being worked out, it added.