APEC prompts openness

APEC prompts openness

What are the most distinctive aspects of our role in the APEC
forum? First, it is the fact that Indonesia's existence as well
as its contributions are respected and accepted not only by the
developing countries, but also by the newly industrialized
countries and the economic superpowers of the world such as the
United States and Japan.

There is however another aspect: the role and position which
Indonesia is taking in APEC has placed us in the ranks of the
countries that are either open or opening up. This is very
clearly expressed by the presence of more than 2,000 journalists
from every corner of the world and by the simultaneous coverage
by the printed and electronic media.

The culmination of this transparency occurs during the days
immediately before and after the APEC forum. It would be wrong,
however, to assume that after that we will be able to elude the
dynamics of openness. Furthermore, APEC is not a job or agenda
that lasts for just a moment and is then forgotten. APEC's
singular nature lies precisely in the fact that it has already
been agreed upon that this forum of economic cooperation should
constitute a continuing process, one that with the passing of
each day comes closer to the goal of a free and open trade.

In a wider and more comprehensive reading the APEC forum is of
course not without political context. The very existence of this
economic cooperation forum in fact is a consequence of political
progress.

-- Kompas, Jakarta