Assistants to APEC Leaders set date for Informal-Summit

Assistants to APEC Leaders set date for Informal-Summit

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): The first meeting of the Special
Assistants to the Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) group yesterday agreed to a date for the
second APEC leadership economic meeting (ALEM).

"The tentative date we have put forward is November
15 in Bogor," said Bintoro Tjokroamidjojo, head of the Executive
Agency for APEC and special assistant on APEC affairs to
President Soeharto.

Indonesia is now the chairman of APEC, which groups Canada,
the United States, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South
Korea, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand along with the
six-members of the Association of South East Asian Nations --
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and
Brunei.

Bintoro said that during the meeting, alternative dates were
put forth by the other delegates but overall there were no fierce
objections to the date Indonesia has set.

"You cannot satisfy all...but most of them support us," he
declared.

When asked which countries were displeased, Bintoro refused to
comment saying about 80 percent of the members supported the
proposed date. "I'm sure the final confirmation will not be
long."

Yesterday's one-day meeting at the Pertamina Cottages in Kuta
fell on the eve of the second APEC Senior Officials Meeting
(SOM), due to begin today.

Over 250 officials from the 17-Apec member countries have
convened at the plush Nusa Dua area, located in the Southern tip
of Bali, to participate in the SOM.

Speaking further on the selection of the date, Bintoro
explained there were several reasons for Indonesia's decision.

Among the most important reasons was the need for a division
between the ALEM and the APEC ministerial meeting.

"The ALEM is an informal meeting. It must be completely
independent (of the ministerial meeting)," Bintoro remarked.

He further explained that for scheduling purposes, it would be
extremely difficult for the organizing committee to have the two
events simultaneously.

Though Bintoro would not confirm the date of the ministerial
meeting, officials from the Japanese and Indonesian delegations
told The Jakarta Post it would be held on Nov. 11-12.

However no official announcement of the date for the
ministerial meeting has been released.

Bintoro revealed that Indonesia had deliberated on much later
dates than the one finally proposed. He said Nov. 20 and Nov. 24
were originally considered but turned-down because the first fell
on Mexico's national day while the latter is the U.S.
Thanksgiving holiday.

Bintoro added that during yesterday's meeting, special
assistants to heads of government agreed the ALEM in Bogor would
follow the same format as the first ALEM meeting on Blake island
off Seattle last November.

Speaking to reporters in his suite, he said that Chile, as
APEC's newest member, will make its formal participation in the
ministerial meeting in November. He also disclosed that the
Chilean head of state will take part in the ALEM in Bogor.

SOM

The second SOM, which begins today, will be opened by Wisber
Loeis, the director general for foreign economic relations at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Besides the 17-member countries, observers from the Pacific
Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), the South Pacific Forum
(SPF) and the ASEAN Secretariat will also be attending the three-
day meeting.

The main issues to be discussed will be human resources
development, small and medium enterprises and private sector
participation.

It is also expected that APEC's ad-hoc group on Economic
Trends and Issues will be officially transformed into an Economic
Committee.

The SOM will also discuss reports on the progress of the
various APEC working groups and committees which have held
meetings a week in advance.(mds)